Assistant Production Planner

WestRock Company; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 41,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical w/ HSA

Dental Vision

401(k) with 5% company match

Paid vacation time & holidays

Life Insurance & AD&D

Disability Insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

WestRock Company is seeking a Production Planner Assistant to develop daily and weekly production schedules for the corrugator and converting departments in Fort Worth, TX. The role supports on-time delivery by coordinating with Purchasing, Materials, and Sales to align capacity with customer requirements.

The position requires 2+ years in production planning, strong Excel skills, and experience with ERP/MRP systems. This is a full-time role with standard M-F hours and overtime as needed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s preferred.
• 2+ years in production planning, scheduling, or related role.
• Corrugated packaging or paper manufacturing experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of production scheduling and workflows.
• Experience with ERP/MRP or inventory management systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

• Develop daily and weekly production schedules for corrugator and converting departments.
• Schedule corrugator runs to optimize machine efficiency and batch similar orders.
• Review customer orders and due dates to support on-time delivery.
• Monitor production progress and adjust schedules for downtime or material shortages.
• Communicate schedule changes to supervisors, operators, and support teams.
• Maintain production schedules in ERP/MRP or scheduling systems.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and Materials to ensure material availability.
• Identify bottlenecks and propose improvements to avoid delays.

Skills

Scheduling

Communication

Organizational skills

Excel

ERP/MRP systems

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associate or Bachelor’s in manufacturing or related field

Tools

ERP/MRP scheduling systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

PRODUCTION PLANNER ASSISTANT

$30-$32/hr

M-F 8a-5p overtime as needed

The Opportunity:

• Assisting in the Develop daily and weekly production schedules for the corrugator and converting departments based on customer requirements, available capacity, and production priorities.
• Assisting in the Scheduling of corrugator runs to optimize machine efficiency, including combining orders with similar paper grades, flute profiles, board widths, and other production requirements when practical.
• Review customer orders and due dates to ensure production schedules support on-time delivery.
• Monitor production progress throughout the day and adjust schedules as needed due to downtime, quality issues, material shortages, labor constraints, or changing customer priorities.
• Communicate schedule changes clearly to production supervisors, machine operators, customer service, shipping, and other affected departments.
• Work with Purchasing and Materials teams to ensure the required linerboard, medium, inks, adhesives, and other materials are available for scheduled production.
• Monitor raw material and finished goods inventory levels and identify potential shortages or excess inventory.
• Maintain accurate production schedules in the company ERP/MRP or scheduling system
• Review machine capacity and identify potential bottlenecks before they affect customer delivery dates.
• Coordinate with Sales and Customer Service regarding rush orders, changes in customer requirements, and expedited production needs.
• Prioritize production based on customer commitments, inventory requirements, machine capabilities, and overall plant objectives.
• Help minimize machine changeovers, waste, downtime, and unnecessary production interruptions.
• Track production performance against the schedule and communicate delays or risks to management.
• Work with Production and Maintenance to account for planned downtime, preventive maintenance, and machine availability.
• Assist with capacity planning and forecasting to support future customer demand.
• Maintain accurate scheduling information, production priorities, and order status.
• Participate in daily production meetings and communicate current and upcoming scheduling requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve scheduling processes, production flow, machine utilization, and on-time delivery performance.
• Follow all company safety, quality, environmental, and operational procedures.

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock:

• Assisting in the Develop daily and weekly production schedules for the corrugator and converting departments based on customer requirements, available capacity, and production priorities.
• Assisting in the Scheduling of corrugator runs to optimize machine efficiency, including combining orders with similar paper grades, flute profiles, board widths, and other production requirements when practical.
• Review customer orders and due dates to ensure production schedules support on-time delivery.
• Monitor production progress throughout the day and adjust schedules as needed due to downtime, quality issues, material shortages, labor constraints, or changing customer priorities.
• Communicate schedule changes clearly to production supervisors, machine operators, customer service, shipping, and other affected departments.
• Work with Purchasing and Materials teams to ensure the required linerboard, medium, inks, adhesives, and other materials are available for scheduled production.
• Monitor raw material and finished goods inventory levels and identify potential shortages or excess inventory.
• Maintain accurate production schedules in the company ERP/MRP or scheduling system
• Review machine capacity and identify potential bottlenecks before they affect customer delivery dates.
• Coordinate with Sales and Customer Service regarding rush orders, changes in customer requirements, and expedited production needs.
• Prioritize production based on customer commitments, inventory requirements, machine capabilities, and overall plant objectives.
• Help minimize machine changeovers, waste, downtime, and unnecessary production interruptions.
• Track production performance against the schedule and communicate delays or risks to management.
• Work with Production and Maintenance to account for planned downtime, preventive maintenance, and machine availability.
• Assist with capacity planning and forecasting to support future customer demand.
• Maintain accurate scheduling information, production priorities, and order status.
• Participate in daily production meetings and communicate current and upcoming scheduling requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve scheduling processes, production flow, machine utilization, and on-time delivery performance.
• Follow all company safety, quality, environmental, and operational procedures.

Corrugated Industry Responsibilities

The Assistant Scheduler / Planner should develop a strong understanding of corrugated manufacturing processes, including:

• Corrugator machine capabilities and production limitations
• Linerboard and medium grades
• Flute profiles and board combinations
• Board widths and sheet lengths
• Paper roll inventory and roll availability
• Corrugator setup and changeover requirements
• Glue and starch requirements
• Warp and board quality considerations
• Sheet stacking and handling requirements
• Waste and trim optimization
• Production sequencing
• Customer due dates and shipping requirements

What you need to succeed:

• High school diplöma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor's degree in manufacturing, supply chain, operations, business, or a related field preferred.
• 2+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, manufacturing, supply chain, or a related role.
• Corrugated packaging or paper manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of production scheduling and manufacturing workflows.
• Experience using ERP/MRP, production scheduling, or inventory management systems.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to analyze production data and make decisions based on capacity, materials, priorities, and customer requirements.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to make quick decisions when production schedules change.
• Willingness to work closely with production personnel and spend time on the plant floor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scheduling a corrugator or converting equipment.
• Knowledge of corrugated board construction and paper grades.
• Experience with ERP/MRP scheduling systems.
• Understanding of manufacturing capacity planning and finite scheduling.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement principles.
• Strong Excel skills, including formulas, sorting/filtering, pivot tables, and production reporting.

What we offer:

Benefit eligibility begins Day 1

Benefits include:

• Medical w/ HSA
• Dental Vision
• Mental Health
• 401(k) with 5% company match
• Paid vacation time & holidays
• Life Insurance & AD&D
• Short- & Long-term Disability Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability and excellence
• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities
• An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies and potential
• A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.