Production Planner

Job Title: Inventory Control Planner

Job Description

The Inventory Control Planner analyzes inventory data at both SKU and aggregate levels to identify opportunities to improve inventory efficiency and overall materials management performance. This role leads data-driven, cross-functional initiatives to address excess or insufficient inventory, develops and implements inventory control procedures, and provides clear reporting and recommendations to enhance multi-echelon inventory management within a manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze SKU-level and aggregate inventory data to identify opportunities to improve inventory efficiency.

• Review inventory, delivery, cost, and planning data to detect underperforming areas or trends related to inventory management.

• Apply a deep understanding of multi-echelon inventory parameters to evaluate performance and identify causes of underperformance.

• Perform root cause analysis on inventory issues and propose corrective and preventative actions to address excess or insufficient stock.

• Identify bottlenecks, slow-moving inventory, and lead-time challenges to increase operational efficiencies.

• Develop and implement inventory control procedures that improve the accuracy and effectiveness of inventory management.

• Create and present clear, data-driven inventory reports to leadership, highlighting trends, patterns, risks, and areas for improvement.

• Collaborate closely with Manufacturing Managers, Manufacturing Planners, Sourcing, Business Leaders, and Finance to improve inventory performance across functions.

• Effectively identify, manage, and influence trade-offs between different functional priorities to minimize sub-optimization of the overall inventory system.

• Use ERP/MRP systems and analytical tools to support planning, materials control, and inventory decision-making.

• Leverage data and analytics to manage inventory and materials, ensuring alignment with supply chain and production planning requirements.

Essential Skills

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing materials management.

• Strong inventory control and inventory analysis skills within a manufacturing environment.

• Hands-on experience with supply chain and production planning processes.

• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems; Oracle experience preferred.

• Advanced ability to understand and utilize data and analytics to manage inventory and materials.

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills for data analysis and reporting.

• Exposure to and understanding of Power BI for data visualization and analytics.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a global, cross-functional team environment.

• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to perform root cause analysis and interpret complex data sets.

• Ability to identify bottlenecks, slow-moving inventory, and lead-time issues and translate findings into actionable improvements.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Data Science, Mathematics, or Statistics.

• Experience with material analysis and material control in a manufacturing context.

• Experience in supply inventory management and related data analysis.

• Familiarity with ERP and MRP system functionalities supporting inventory and production planning.

• APICS certification is a plus but not required.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Dayton, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $38.00 - $52.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Dayton,MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 2, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.