We are seeking a Production Planner to translate customer demand into weekly production requirements for a fast-paced food manufacturing operation. This role balances customer service, inventory, capacity, and product freshness while providing data-driven recommendations to Manufacturing Operations, Sales, Distribution, Procurement, and external customers.
***This position is required to report onsite 5 days per week***
What You Will Do
Demand and Production Planning
Develop weekly production requirements using sales orders, customer forecasts, statistical forecasts, and historical demand within a rolling 1–3 week horizon.
Balance Make-to-Stock and Make-to-Order production requirements.
Plan inventory builds for seasonal demand, promotions, maintenance, and expected supply or production disruptions.
Inventory Management
Monitor finished goods inventory, days of supply, freshness, and customer requirements.
Balance customer service objectives with inventory investment and shelf-life risk.
Identify slow-moving, excess, and aging inventory and recommend corrective action.
Capacity and Supply Planning
Recommend production priorities when demand exceeds available capacity.
Evaluate the effects of production interruptions, material constraints, and changing customer demand.
Coordinate with Procurement when raw material or packaging constraints affect the production plan.
Communication and Coordination
Partner with Manufacturing Operations, Procurement, Sales, Distribution, and external customers to communicate production plans, shortages, inventory constraints, order changes, service risks, and recommended actions.
Provide management with data-supported production and inventory recommendations.
Analytics and Continuous Improvement
Analyze production performance compared with plan.
Develop and maintain planning models, reports, and decision-support tools using Microsoft Excel and JD Edwards.
Identify trends affecting demand, inventory, production, and customer service.
Characteristics of a Successful Candidate
Detail-oriented and highly organized.
Analytical and comfortable working with data.
Able to think several weeks ahead.
Calm under pressure and comfortable with changing information.
Collaborative and able to influence without direct authority.
Able to balance customer service with inventory, capacity, and freshness considerations.