Master Scheduler

Position Summary

The Production Planner / Master Scheduler is responsible for developing, maintaining, and executing the production schedule to ensure customer orders are completed on time, materials are available, and manufacturing resources are used efficiently.

This position coordinates production planning across electronic manufacturing operations, including through-hole assembly, testing, inspection, and final product assembly.

The successful candidate will work closely with Purchasing, Materials Management, Production, Engineering, Quality, and Customer Service to balance customer demand, material availability, production capacity, and delivery commitments. The position will proactively identify scheduling conflicts, material shortages, capacity constraints, and potential delivery risks.

Key Responsibilities

1. Master Production Scheduling

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) based on customer orders, forecasts, inventory levels, production capacity, and delivery requirements.
• Establish daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules for multiple product lines and manufacturing work centers.
• Prioritize production orders based on customer commitments, business priorities, material availability, and production constraints.
• Schedule and coordinate assembly, through-hole assembly, final assembly, testing, and other manufacturing processes as applicable.
• Monitor schedule adherence and adjust production priorities when demand, materials, equipment, or labor availability changes.
• Establish realistic production start dates and completion dates in coordination with manufacturing teams.
• Manage schedule changes while minimizing disruption, excessive changeovers, overtime, and work-in-process inventory.

2. Material Planning and Availability

• Review bills of materials (BOMs), inventory balances, open purchase orders, and production requirements to ensure materials are available before scheduled production.
• Execute and maintain Material Requirements Planning (MRP) activities within the ERP system.
• Identify shortages of electronic components, printed circuit boards, connectors, cables, mechanical parts, and other production materials.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and Materials Management to expedite critical or long-lead-time components.
• Monitor supplier delivery dates and communicate material-related risks that could affect production schedules.
• Verify material readiness before releasing production orders.
• Support management of excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory through effective planning and schedule coordination.

3. Production Coordination and Execution

• Release and maintain production work orders in accordance with the approved production schedule and material availability.
• Coordinate with Production Supervisors and Team Leads to ensure work orders are executed according to plan.
• Monitor work-in-process (WIP), production progress, and completion dates across manufacturing operations.
• Identify bottlenecks, capacity constraints, machine downtime, labor shortages, and quality issues affecting scheduled output.
• Reschedule affected orders and communicate recovery plans to relevant departments.
• Track production order status from material readiness through manufacturing, testing, and finished-goods completion.
• Ensure priorities are clearly communicated to production teams and supporting departments.

4. Customer Delivery and Schedule Performance

• Support on-time delivery (OTD) performance by maintaining accurate production schedules and identifying delivery risks early.
• Provide reliable estimated completion dates based on material availability, production capacity, and current factory performance.
• Communicate schedule changes and potential delays to Customer Service, Sales, and Operations Management.
• Coordinate recovery plans for past-due orders and urgent customer requirements.
• Monitor backlog, past-due work orders, and orders approaching their required ship dates.

5. Capacity Planning and Continuous Improvement

• Analyze production capacity, labor availability, equipment utilization, and expected demand.
• Identify overloading of critical resources, including SMT lines, assembly stations, test equipment, and inspection processes.
• Support capacity planning for new product introductions, demand increases, engineering changes, and seasonal fluctuations.
• Analyze schedule adherence, production lead times, WIP levels, and material shortages.
• Recommend improvements to planning parameters, lot sizes, production sequencing, safety stock, and replenishment strategies.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to improve throughput, reduce lead times, and increase schedule reliability.

6. ERP System and Reporting

• Maintain accurate production planning data, including work orders, due dates, lead times, planning parameters, and order status.
• Use ERP/MRP systems to generate production schedules, material requirements, shortage reports, and planning recommendations.
• Prepare and communicate daily or weekly reports covering production priorities, material shortages, capacity constraints, and delivery risks.
• Maintain data integrity for bills of materials, routings, inventory records, and manufacturing lead times in coordination with the responsible departments.
• Provide management with timely, accurate information to support production and delivery decisions.

Qualifications and Experience

• Associate degree or bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Three or more years of experience in production planning, master scheduling, materials planning, or manufacturing operations preferred.
• Experience in an electronics manufacturing environment is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of MRP, ERP systems, bills of materials, routings, work orders, and inventory control.
• Understanding of electronics manufacturing processes, including SMT, PCBA, through-hole assembly, testing, and final assembly.
• Experience planning production in a make-to-order, build-to-stock, or mixed manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and production planning reports.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively to changing customer and production requirements.

Preferred Technical Skills

• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Epicor, Infor, or equivalent.
• Understanding of MRP exception messages, demand forecasting, capacity planning, and finite scheduling.
• Familiarity with electronic component lead times, supplier constraints, engineering change orders (ECOs), and component obsolescence.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing, Kanban, just-in-time (JIT) principles, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, data analysis, and planning reports.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be measured using agreed-upon operational targets, including:

• On-Time Delivery (OTD): Percentage of customer orders shipped by the committed date.
• Schedule Attainment: Percentage of planned production orders or quantities completed as scheduled.
• Material Availability: Percentage of scheduled production orders ready to start with required materials available.
• Past-Due Orders: Number and value of overdue production orders.
• Production Lead Time: Time required to move orders through the manufacturing process.
• Work-in-Process (WIP): Inventory levels and aging of open production orders.
• Schedule Stability: Frequency and magnitude of unplanned schedule changes.
• Inventory Performance: Support for inventory accuracy and reduction of excess or obsolete material.

Targets should be established based on the factory's current performance, customer requirements, product mix, and operating model.

Core Competencies

• Strong planning, prioritization, and time-management skills.
• Analytical thinking and data-driven decision-making.
• Cross-functional communication and coordination.
• Attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Proactive identification and escalation of production risks.
• Ability to work under pressure in a changing manufacturing environment.
• Accountability for schedule accuracy and delivery performance.

Working Relationships

The Production Planner / Master Scheduler works closely with:

• Production and Manufacturing Supervisors
• Purchasing and Supplier Management
• Materials Management and Warehouse
• Manufacturing and Test Engineering
• Quality Assurance
• Customer Service and Sales
• Operations and Plant Management

Overall Objective

Ensure that the factory has the right materials, production capacity, and priorities in place to manufacture the right products at the right time, while meeting customer delivery commitments, controlling inventory, and maximizing manufacturing efficiency.