Plant Scheduler

Job Summary:

The Extrusion Plant Scheduler is responsible for coordinating, tracking, and communicating customer orders throughout the aluminum extrusion facility and across multiple divisions. This position reports directly to the Extrusion Plant Manager and works closely with Sales, Customer Service, Production, Die Shop, Paint Line, Packing, Shipping, and plant leadership to ensure orders are scheduled, tracked, prioritized, and completed in alignment with customer requirements and plant capability. The Plant Scheduler plays a key role in maintaining accurate order visibility, communicating changes, supporting on-time delivery, and helping drive accountability from order entry through the extrusion facility.

Essential Responsibilities and Duties:

• Report directly to the Extrusion Plant Manager and support daily production planning, order tracking, and schedule communication.
• Track customer orders through multiple divisions and process steps, including extrusion, die shop readiness, paint line, packing, shipping, and outside or supporting operations as needed.
• Work closely with the Sales Team and Customer Service to communicate order status, lead times, production concerns, priority changes, and delivery risks.
• Communicate professionally with customers when required regarding order status, schedule updates, delays, or follow-up information.
• Maintain visibility of open orders, past-due orders, hot orders, customer priorities, and tracking daily past due numbers and or totals company wide.
• Assist with building, updating, and communicating production schedules based on customer demand, equipment capacity, staffing, tooling readiness, material availability, and plant priorities.
• Coordinate with production supervisors and department leaders to verify order progress, identify constraints, and ensure schedule expectations are clear.
• Monitor order movement from initial scheduling through completion and follow up on orders that are delayed, missing information, or at risk of not meeting customer expectations.
• Help prioritize work across departments to support customer delivery, reduce past-due orders, and improve schedule execution.
• Provide timely updates to the Extrusion Plant Manager and leadership team regarding schedule performance, customer risks, bottlenecks, and needed corrective actions.
• Track and communicate schedule changes caused by equipment downtime, tooling issues, quality concerns, staffing shortages, material shortages, paint line constraints, packing delays, or customer changes.
• Partner with Die Shop, Extrusion, Paint Line, Packing/Shipping to resolve issues impacting order completion and on-time delivery.
• Review production and order information for accuracy and ensure schedules are based on current, reliable data.
• Support daily production meetings, schedule reviews, customer priority reviews, and planning discussions as needed.
• Maintain organized records, trackers, reports, and communication related to customer orders, production schedules, order status, and delivery priorities.
• Identify recurring scheduling or order-flow issues and recommend process improvements to improve communication, visibility, and accountability.
• Follow company policies, safety expectations, communication standards, and confidentiality requirements at all times.
• Promote teamwork, urgency, accountability, and professional communication between Sales, customers, and plant operations.

Qualifications and Skills:

• High school diploma or equivalent is required; additional education or training in business, manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, or related field is preferred.
• Experience in aluminum extrusion, manufacturing scheduling, production planning, customer service, shipping, or order management is preferred.
• Strong understanding of production flow, order tracking, customer priorities, and manufacturing lead-time requirements.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with Sales, customers, supervisors, managers, and multiple departments.
• Strong organization, follow-up, time management, and attention-to-detail skills.
• Ability to manage multiple orders, priorities, schedule changes, and customer requests in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks, escalate concerns, and support corrective actions.
• Ability to read and understand production schedules, order reports, customer requirements, inventory information, and operational data.
• Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and production or ERP systems as required.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and provide timely updates to leadership and other departments.
• Must be dependable, professional, and able to work with urgency while maintaining accuracy and clear communication.

Work Requirements:

• Must be able to work in a manufacturing office and plant-floor environment with exposure to production activity, noise, moving equipment, and changing priorities.
• Must be able to walk the plant floor as needed to verify order status, production progress, department constraints, and schedule concerns.
• Must be able to work directly with multiple departments and shifts to support order tracking, communication, and schedule execution.
• Must be able to respond to urgent schedule changes, customer priorities, and production issues as needed.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of customer information, company information, schedules, and business-related communication.
• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, use a computer, review reports, and communicate by phone, email, and in person for extended periods as needed.