Production Planner

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

- Develop and maintain short-term and long-term production schedules for operations.

- Coordinate production plans based on customer demand, forecasts, inventory levels, equipment capacity, and workforce availability.

- Monitor production progress and adjust schedules to address changing priorities, equipment downtime, material shortages, or customer requirements.

- Work with Purchasing to ensure availability of raw materials.

- Analyze production capacity and identify constraints impacting output and delivery performance.

- Maintain accurate production data, inventory records, and planning parameters within the ERP/MRP system.

- Coordinate with department managers to optimize workflow and achieve production objectives.

- Track key performance indicators (KPIs) including schedule attainment, inventory accuracy, on-time delivery, and production efficiency.

- Support inventory management efforts through cycle counts, inventory analysis, and stock level optimization.

- Generate and distribute production reports, schedules, and performance metrics.

- Participate in daily production meetings and communicate scheduling priorities to operations teams.

- Collaborate with Quality Assurance to ensure production schedules accommodate inspection and testing requirements.

- Assist with new product introductions and production process changes.

- Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, reduce lead times, and increase productivity.

- Ensure compliance with company safety policies, environmental regulations, and quality standards.

- Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or related field and/or equivalent work experience in production planning, scheduling, or manufacturing experience.

- Experience in a manufacturing environment; process manufacturing experience preferred.

- Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel.

- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced production environment.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

- Strong attention to detail and data accuracy.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in graphite, carbon materials, refractory products, metals, ceramics, or similar industrial manufacturing.

- APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent).

- Experience with capacity planning and inventory optimization.

- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement principles.

- Familiarity with production reporting and data analysis tools.