Production Planner

Job Title: Production Planner Job Description
The Production Planner plays a key role in analyzing production specifications, determining manufacturing processes, and aligning material flow with production activity. This position is responsible for preparing work orders, maintaining accurate schedules, and coordinating across multiple teams to ensure efficient, timely, and cost-effective production. The role involves working directly on the warehouse floor around heavy machinery and requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt plans based on changing demand, capacity, and customer requirements.
Responsibilities
- Analyze production specifications to determine appropriate manufacturing processes, tools, and personnel requirements.
- Ensure material flow and production activity remain aligned to meet production targets and delivery commitments.
- Prepare and release work orders in a timely and accurate manner.
- Recommend schedule changes when necessary due to material or labor shortages, design changes, or production backlogs.
- Utilize Job BOSS or other software-generated reports to update and maintain the capacity cutoff calendar.
- Work closely with Sales and Materials teams to generate accurate demand forecasts and adjust production plans based on forecast changes.
- Coordinate with Customer Service and Materials teams to align production schedules with order intake for both regular and rush jobs.
- Collaborate with Programming and Operations teams to plan jobs across various machines, prioritizing orders based on lead time, capacity, and customer requirements.
- Balance production loads across machines and shifts to optimize throughput and minimize bottlenecks.
- Assess manpower, machine availability, and material readiness to maximize production efficiency.
- Reassign or reschedule workloads as needed in response to scheduled maintenance, machine breakdowns, or other disruptions.
- Create, verify, and arrange the transfer of material pick orders for each machine to ensure timely availability of materials.
- Maintain clear visibility of order flow and proactively identify and flag potential delays, such as material stockouts, overutilized machines, or tooling issues.
- Maintain and update the daily Delivery Schedule report to ensure alignment between actual production and the planned schedule.
- Respond to expedite requests by adjusting priorities and rescheduling tasks to meet urgent order requirements.
- Coordinate with Production, Procurement, and Shipping teams to execute expedited orders efficiently and on time.
- Work with Quality and Engineering teams to ensure timely release of PPAPs when applicable.
- Perform tasks and duties associated with product manufacture planning, including producing schedules, materials lists, and detailed production plans.
- Communicate effectively with plant leadership, sales staff, and warehouse personnel to ensure clarity and alignment on production priorities and timelines.
Essential Skills
- Zero (0) to 3 years of experience in a production planning or scheduling role within a manufacturing environment.
- Ability to read and understand engineering drawings as applicable to production planning.
- Knowledge of the different processes involved in manufacturing parts.
- Ability to create, interpret, and use reports to make informed production planning decisions.
- Basic math and reading skills typically obtained through a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Proficiency with computers and common software tools used in planning and scheduling.
- Strong interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with plant leadership, sales staff, and warehouse personnel.
- Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to understand equipment capabilities and tolerances to plan jobs appropriately.
- Experience or familiarity with production planning, production scheduling, supply chain processes, ERP systems, inventory management, and purchasing activities.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Bachelors degree in supply chain management, business, or a related field is preferred.
- Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems; experience with Job BOSS and SAP is a plus.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
- Analytical mindset with proactive problem-solving abilities.
- Experience with schedule planning and inventory management in a manufacturing environment.
- Comfort working with data and system-generated reports to drive decisions.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Production, Procurement, Shipping, Quality, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Service.
Work Environment
This is an onsite, first-shift position working Monday through Friday in a manufacturing and warehouse environment. The role is performed directly on the warehouse floor, in and around heavy machinery and production equipment. The work setting is fast-paced and highly collaborative, involving frequent interaction with operations, sales, materials, customer service, quality, engineering, procurement, and shipping teams. Production planning activities rely on ERP/MRP systems and software tools such as Job BOSS and SAP, as well as various reporting tools to monitor capacity, schedules, and order flow. The environment requires adherence to appropriate safety practices and the ability to navigate an active production floor while focusing on accuracy, efficiency, and timely delivery of customer orders.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Brook Park, OH.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $25.00 - $28.00/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)
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Brook Park, OH.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 27, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Brook Park,OH.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award 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 [email protected] 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.