Site Production Planner

Site Production Planner

Morton Salt is an iconic company with a strong heritage and a bright future. Since 1848, we have been improving lives and enhancing everyday moments at home, at work and virtually everywhere in between. We help unlock the flavors in food, make roads and sidewalks safer, improve the water in baths, pools, and homes, and keep businesses and industries running. We are a dedicated team who constantly strives to do better together, and we are passionate about building a sustainable future for our company, the communities in which we operate, and the world around us. By joining our team, you will contribute to producing and delivering every form of salt that enhances everyday life.

Job Summary

The Site Production Planner is responsible for analyzing production and forecast data to develop and maintain comprehensive, data driven, production schedules which optimize resources, minimize downtime, and align with production goals, customer demand, and inventory goals. Act as liaison between CSRs, Supply & Demand Planners and the plant to relay key data, execute orders, and meet delivery dates.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop & maintain daily, weekly and monthly production schedules based on sales forecasts, customer orders and targeted inventory levels.
• Develop production plans for a rolling three-month period based on sales forecasts and internal supply constraints. Ensure gaps in ability to supply are addressed, scenarios established, and issues appropriately escalated.
• Determines production priorities by analyzing manufacturing capacity, customer orders, forecasts, and master production schedule needs while controlling inventory levels.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (sales, customer service, logistics, supply chain planning, procurement, and manufacturing) to make timely adjustments to production plans based on changing business priorities, demand fluctuations, and supply constraints.
• Monitor and adjust production plans based on material availability, labor, and equipment capacities.
• Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) related to production, OTIF, and inventory management and implement process improvements.
• Analyzes key metrics such as schedule adherence, inventory turnover, forecast performance, order backlog, and prioritization and identifies process improvements.
• Identify and implement process improvements within the production scheduling process, aiming to reduce lead times, improve schedule adherence, and optimize resource utilization.
• Provide regular updates and reporting to Supply Chain Leadership on production schedules, capacity utilization, and any potential disruptions.
• Communicates order impacts to Customer Service, Transportation & Replenishment.
• Analyzes & identifies bottlenecks in production capacities and works with Operations & Supply Planning to implement solutions that optimize throughput & improve overall efficiency.
• Identify and mitigate potential inventory shortages or excesses while maintaining ability to meet customer demand.
• Responsible for the creation & monitoring of stock transfer orders (STO's) of products shipped but not produced in the manufacturing facility
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Customer Service, and SC Management to achieve business objectives.
• Conducts daily/weekly scheduling meeting to review previous production performance and to gain plant alignment around future production requirements.
• Maintain master data integrity & leverages system settings and parameters to drive planning efficiency.
• Supports introduction of new products and product discontinuations.
• Serve as the primary contact for production information requests and provide support for shipping dates and other information as requested.
• Participates in and supports Plant Management efforts to improve plant efficiency, labor management, and employee engagement by maintaining a regular presence on the production floor, partnering with Production Supervisors/Managers, monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs/PMIs), and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor's degree and 4 years of prior relevant experience in production planning/scheduling, plant operations, inventory or distribution planning. Preferably in food manufacturing environment.
• In absence of a degree, 7-10 years of relevant experience is required.
• Excellent organizational, prioritization, and time-management skills with the ability to effectively handle multiple priorities.
• Ability to perform data analysis and interpretation: The ability to collect, clean, and analyze data from various sources, identify trends, and draw meaningful conclusions.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and solve problems, with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
• Action Oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Proactive and Results driven: Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing business needs.
• Collaborative team player with a positive attitude and a solution-driven mindset.
• Strong verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally at all levels.
• Proficient in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and advanced Excel for data analysis and reporting.

Work Environment

• This position requires an individual who can handle the stress of a fast-paced packaging and processing operation.
• Works in a combination of office work and standing for prolonged periods, performs office or clerical duties including the use of office tools, frequently travels between office and plant environments of varied temperatures and humidity, climbs stairs, and wears personal protective equipment, as required.
• Works in a manufacturing and packaging plant environment, requiring significant walking and travel in a large facility.

At Morton Salt, we work best when we work as a team, when we treat one another with dignity and respect, and value the unique contributions of others. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, national origin, sex, religion, color, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.