Assistant Production Planner

Smurfit Westrock Company; Town of Texas, Northern (WI, KY); 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

Short- & Long-term Disability

Job summary

Smurfit Westrock Company in Wisconsin is seeking a Production Planner Assistant to help develop and maintain daily and weekly production schedules for corrugator and converting departments. You will coordinate with Sales, Customer Service, Production, Purchasing and Logistics to ensure orders are produced on time and meet quality standards.

Ideal candidates have a high school diploma and 2+ years in production planning or scheduling, with experience in ERP/MRP and corrugated packaging.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 2+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, manufacturing, or 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.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Develop daily and weekly production schedules for the corrugator and converting departments based on customer requirements, capacity, and priorities.
• Schedule corrugator runs to optimize machine efficiency and combine orders with similar grades and profiles when practical.
• Review orders and due dates to support on-time delivery.
• Monitor production progress and adjust schedules for downtime, quality issues, material shortages, or changing priorities.
• Communicate schedule changes clearly to supervisors, operators, customer service, and shipping.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and Materials to ensure availability of linerboard, medium, inks, adhesives and other materials.
• Monitor inventory levels to identify shortages or excesses.
• Maintain accurate schedules in ERP/MRP or scheduling system.
• Review capacity and identify bottlenecks before they affect delivery dates.
• Coordinate with Sales and Customer Service on rush orders and expedited production.
• Prioritize production based on commitments, inventory, capacity, and plant objectives.
• Minimize changeovers, waste, downtime, and interruptions.
• Track performance and report delays or risks to management.
• Account for planned downtime and maintenance with Production and Maintenance.
• Assist with capacity planning and forecasting for future demand.
• Maintain scheduling information and order statuses.
• Participate in daily production meetings and communicate requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve scheduling processes and on-time delivery.

Skills

Production scheduling

ERP/MRP systems

Communication

Organizational skills

Lean manufacturing

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associate or Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, supply chain, operations, business or related field preferred

Job description

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is the go-to leader and partner of choice in sustainable packaging. We are dedicated to creating efficient and scalable paper and packaging solutions to help solve complex packaging challenges. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity and respect, we are committed to delivering meaningful value for shareholders, customers, employees and the communities where we operate.

PRODUCTION PLANNER ASSISTANT

$30-$32/hr

M-F 8a-5p overtime as needed

The Opportunity:

The Assistant Scheduler / Planner is responsible for assisting in the development, maintaining, and communicating production schedules for the corrugator operations. This position ensures customer orders are produced efficiently, on time, and according to required specifications while optimizing machine capacity, labor, materials, inventory, and overall plant efficiency.

The Assistant Scheduler / Planner works closely with Sales, Customer Service, Production, Purchasing, Warehouse, Maintenance, and Quality to coordinate priorities and respond quickly to changes in customer demand, machine availability, material constraints, and production requirements.

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 requirementsWaste and trim optimization
• 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.
• 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
• 401(k) with 5% company match
• Short- & Long-term Disability Insurance
• 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.

Candidates are required to undergo a drug screening after receiving a conditional job offer, but before starting employment.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.