Senior Demand Planner

Position Summary:
We are seeking an experienced and strategically minded Senior Production Planner to lead the coordination and management of manufacturing schedules in a fast-paced SMT environment. The ideal candidate brings deep planning expertise and a proven ability to drive cross-functional alignment between production output and customer demand. This role requires a high level of autonomy and ownership, with an emphasis on process improvement, mentorship, and ensuring efficiency, material availability, and on-time delivery across complex, high-mix production environments. This position is 100% onsite.

About the job

Location: Milpitas, CA [Onsite]

Employment type: Full-time, Exempt

Department: Planning

Report To: Planning Manager

Responsibilities:

• Own and drive the development and execution of master production schedules, balancing customer demand, material availability, and capacity constraints across multiple product lines.
• Proactively identify and resolve schedule risks, leading cross-functional discussions to address delays, shortages, and shifting customer priorities.
• Serve as a key liaison between Purchasing, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Customer Service to resolve complex scheduling conflicts and uphold delivery commitments.
• Lead the timely release of work orders and oversee coordination across SMT assembly, testing, and final packaging operations, ensuring smooth material and information flow.
• Maintain data integrity within the ERP system and drive continuous improvement in how planning data (work orders, lead times, production statuses) is managed and utilized.
• Own and report on key planning metrics (OTD, capacity utilization, backlog), providing trend analysis and actionable recommendations to planning leadership.
• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) planning efforts, driving early build coordination and ensuring full alignment between Engineering, Procurement, and Production from pre-production through ramp.
• Manage Quick-Turn planning for expedited customer orders, developing repeatable processes to handle accelerated lead times without disrupting the master schedule.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior and associate planners, supporting their development and helping to build overall team capability.
• Partner with Planning Management on capacity planning, resource allocation, and long-range scheduling strategies.

Requirements:

Education/Qualification

• Bachelor degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, or a related field.

Experience (Years & Fields)

• 5+ years of production planning experience in SMT or electronics manufacturing, with a demonstrated track record of managing complex, high-mix, low-volume environments.

Skills/Competencies

Soft Skills:

• Decision making
• Strong communication
• Teamwork skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Multi-tasking skill
• Detail Oriented
• Team leading (preferred)
• Data analytic skill
• Organization skill

Technical Skills:

• Deep understanding of manufacturing processes, material flow, and supply chain dynamics in a contract or high-mix manufacturing setting.
• Advanced proficiency with ERP/MRP systems.
• Advanced analytical and organizational skills, including experience with capacity modeling, constraint management, and schedule optimization.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in NPI planning, including managing prototype builds and coordinating cross-functional readiness reviews (preferred)
• Extensive experience in quick-turn or contract manufacturing models with a strong customer service orientation (preferred).
• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification (preferred).
• Experience developing or improving planning processes, tools, or workflows within an operations or manufacturing environment.
• Bilingual - Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin (preferred)

Benefits:

• Paid Time Off
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401K

The expected pay rate for this position is $108,000.00 - $115,000.00 depending on specific skills and work experience.