Senior Master Scheduler, Manufacturing Operations

Job Description

Job Description

About the Role

Each morning you’ll open the production cockpit: demand signals, capacity views, and material health all in one place. You’ll tune the Master Production Schedule (MPS) so it’s realistic for Operations, aligned to Sales commitments, and synchronized with purchasing and inventory. By midday, you’ll be coaching planners through trade-offs, partnering with Production on bottlenecks, and recalibrating priorities when supply or equipment shifts. In the afternoon, you’ll walk the floor to validate plan execution, lead recovery actions for hot items, and close the loop with stakeholders so tomorrow’s plan is even stronger.

What You’ll Own Master Scheduling

• Build and maintain a time-phased MPS that reflects demand forecasts, customer orders, inventory posture, and strategic priorities.
• Convert demand into executable production plans that respect lead times, routings, and capacity constraints.
• Continuously balance line capacity, labor availability, equipment uptime, materials, and due dates to meet service and cost goals.
• Sequence work to maximize throughput while minimizing delays, overtime, and unnecessary changeovers.
• Adapt the plan quickly to changes in demand, unplanned downtime, material shortages, and other disruptions.
• Control inventory by planning to target levels, avoiding excess/obsolete, and protecting on-time delivery.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop Production Planners and Production Control Associates.
• Set clear goals, roles, and expectations; review workloads and allocate resources for maximum impact.
• Standardize planning processes and work instructions to drive consistency and quality.
• Train the team on ERP/MRP, scheduling, capacity planning, and production control best practices.
• Foster accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and data-driven decisions.

Production Control

• Track daily execution versus the MPS and short-interval plans.
• Surface schedule risks early and communicate implications to leaders and peers.
• Orchestrate recovery plans for missed builds, shortages, capacity issues, and other exceptions.
• Align closely with Production Supervisors to ensure plans are feasible and properly resourced.
• Maintain accurate work orders, priorities, and statuses within the ERP/MRP system.

Materials & Inventory

• Partner with Purchasing and Materials Management to ensure raw materials, components, and outside services arrive on time.
• Flag and mitigate material constraints that threaten customer commitments.
• Review safety stocks, lead times, and replenishment parameters; recommend adjustments.
• Reduce excess, expedites, and discrepancies through disciplined planning and escalation.

Capacity Planning

• Run short-, medium-, and long-horizon capacity analyses to reveal bottlenecks and future needs.
• Partner with Operations on overtime, shift structures, outsourcing, equipment utilization, and staffing models.
• Support capital and operational decisions with clear demand/capacity data.

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Collaborate with Sales/Customer Service to understand priorities and delivery promises.
• Work with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Warehouse, and Supply Chain to resolve plan-to-actual gaps.
• Participate in S&OP and IBP forums; communicate plan changes and risks promptly.
• Provide leadership with transparent updates on capacity, schedule attainment, risks, and OTIF performance.

Measures of Success

• On-Time Delivery (OTD) and Schedule Adherence
• Production Schedule Attainment and reduced backlog/past-due
• Inventory turns and inventory accuracy
• Material availability and expedite reduction
• Capacity utilization and shorter lead times
• Planning team performance and development

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor’s in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline preferred.
• 5+ years in manufacturing planning, master scheduling, production control, or supply chain.
• Experience leading planners/schedulers or production control teams.
• Strong command of ERP/MRP and end-to-end planning processes.
• Hands-on ownership of an MPS in a make-to-stock and/or make-to-order environment.
• Proficiency in capacity planning, inventory management, MRP, and shop scheduling.
• Advanced analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Comfort juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced plant setting.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

• APICS/ASCM credentials (CPIM, CSCP).
• Background with Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement.
• Experience in S&OP/IBP processes.
• Advanced Excel and experience with planning/reporting dashboards.
• Experience with Infor (Syteline).
• Manufacturing experience in automotive and aerospace.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic, analytical thinker; strong prioritization and decision-making
• Team building, coaching, and talent development
• Cross-functional influencer and collaborator
• Ownership mindset with rigorous problem solving and root-cause analysis
• Continuous improvement orientation and crisp communication/escalation
• Resilient under changing priorities

Working Conditions

• Primarily office/planning environment with frequent interaction on the production floor.
• Regular collaboration with manufacturing and cross-functional teams.
• Occasional overtime or schedule flexibility to support critical builds and customer needs.

Why This Role Matters

You will deliver a credible, controlled production plan and lead the Planning and Production Control team to ship on time, sustain healthy inventory, optimize capacity, and pivot quickly as business needs evolve.

Benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company contributions
• Paid time off (PTO) and company holidays
• Life insurance and disability coverage