Maintenance Scheduler Planner

Lightera; Norcross (GA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Tuition reimbursement

401(k) matching

Job summary

LIGHTERA is seeking a Maintenance Planner/Scheduler to improve productivity by planning and coordinating labor, parts and materials for all maintenance work across the plant. You will manage work orders, balance safety, quality, and reliability, and ensure timely execution of preventive and corrective maintenance.

The role requires a mechanical/electrical background, 3+ years in manufacturing, and strong planning, communication, and PC skills.

Qualifications

• Mechanical/Electrical background required; tech school background desired.
• 3+ years of manufacturing experience.
• Experience with materials characterization techniques.
• Strong multi-tasking and planning abilities.
• Proficient with basic computer functions (Office, web).
• Excellent communication, time-management and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Reports to the Maintenance Manager and liaises with production.
• Review, screen and prioritize work orders with accurate scope and lead times.
• Create and fill out work orders; escalate for approval when needed.
• Plan and schedule maintenance by prioritizing backlog and ready orders.
• Ensure parts, materials and tools availability before scheduling.
• Coordinate with the Parts coordinator for timely delivery.
• Maintain safety as a top priority in planning and execution.
• Produce scheduling packages and reports for management.

Skills

Hands-on

Multi-tasking

Office software

Communication & documentation

Materials characterization techniques

Education

Mechanical/Electrical background

Tech school background desired

Job description

LIGHTERA has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, which goes back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone more than a century ago. We have a proven track record of being first in the industry with application specific fibers, optical connectors, ribbon cables, erbium doped fibers, Raman fiber lasers, fiber gratings and more. Our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions by designing, manufacturing and supplying the best optical fibers, fiber cable and components and devices for our customers, with exceptional service that creates value for our shareholders, customers and employees. To do so, we must continue shaping the future of communications by applying the best minds to the challenges our customers will continually face.

Position Summary :

The Maintenance Scheduler will promote Safety, Quality, and Reliability, (SQR) in all activities conducted by the maintenance department. The primary role of the Maintenance Planner/Scheduler is to improve work force productivity and work quality by eliminating potential delays and obstacles through proper planning and coordination of labor, parts and materials. This role is responsible for planning and scheduling all maintenance work being performed within all areas. All records and files will be maintained to permit meaningful analysis and reporting of work done.

MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED:

Mechanical/Electrical background necessary and tech school background desired .

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

3 plus years’ experience in a manufacturing environment

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Reports to the Maintenance Manager who is the principal contact and liaison between the maintenance department and the production department.
• The planner receives all work order requests from the requesting areas. All work order requests are reviewed and screened to ensure the work scope is clearly described. Apply realistic priority and provide practical lead-time, cost and other coding is complete and accurate.
• Creates a properly filled out work order for all needed or approved work order request. If need is questioned and not readily resolved with requesting department, refers the work order request to the Maintenance Manager for approval.
• Examine unplanned work orders and determine best way to accomplish the work. Consults with the Maintenance Manager when necessary.
• Obtains blueprints, drawing, instructional manuals, and special procedures, as needed, from files or job packets to clarify the intent of the work order.
• Works closely with the Parts coordinator for timely delivery of parts & equipment.
• Identifies and obtains determinable materials, entering material needs on the work order.
• Ensuring safety needs are given a top priority in work planning.
• Estimates each work order showing sequence of steps, the number of trades and required labor-hours for each step. List any special tools or equipment.
• Estimates cost for each work order in terms of direct labor, materials required and total cost.
• Maintains backlog of work orders awaiting scheduling (Ready) and unplanned work orders (Hold), which also have delay codes entered on work order.
• Once a job is planned and estimated, prior to scheduling, the Planner verifies the availability of parts, materials and special tools required for its executions.
• Have complete knowledge of PM workload to better schedule work orders.
• Develops a maintenance work schedule from the backlog files of the ready work orders, selects a group of work orders with labor requirements matching the capability of the identified work force, considering any work carry over from jobs previously scheduled. Identifies any known skill requirements.Allocates labor and coordinates these requirements through Maintenance Supervisor and Maintenance Manager.
• In the selection of jobs for scheduling, meeting the deadlines established by the requesting department and maintaining the preventive maintenance schedule is essential. If any work orders cannot be scheduled within the prescribed priority lead time, the requesting department management and the requester are promptly notified so that appropriate action can be taken to get the work done in a satisfactory and timely manner.
• Conducts weekly meetings with the Maintenance Manager, Production & Process owner and participates in the overall plant scheduling of the following week’s work and helps negotiates for downtime windows during which preventive and corrective maintenance can be performed.
• Finalized the Maintenance Work Schedule and the PM Work Schedule by Thursday at 1:00 pm, ensuring that the work scheduled balance with the man-hours available so that a full day’s work is provided to each person.
• For firm work schedules, coordinates the checkout and staging of all predetermined parts, materials and special tools and ensures that the equipment to be worked on will be available and ready.
• Issues approved schedules together with relevant work orders and other planning documents to the Maintenance Manager. All work orders except emergencies come through the planner.
• Discusses planning packages as necessary with special instructions or considerations to be observed in the execution of the jobs and reviews new jobs coming up in the future.
• Follows up to ensure the completed schedules and work orders are returned at the proper time. Carefully reviews completed schedules and corresponding work orders submitted by the Maintenance Manager and monitors work order progress for any reports necessary.
• Provides all documents for reporting and/or closeout.
• Promote the conservation of energy and resources.
• Maintains a ready package of schedulable work orders which require equipment to be shut down so that some or all of them can be performed in the event of an unscheduled shutdown of that equipment. These unscheduled shutdown work orders are prepared, reviewed, and updated weekly.
• Develops a file of standard work orders (plans) for regularly recurring repair jobs, based on historical experience, to simplify the planning process.
• Review the actual labor expended versus estimated labor and materials used for completed jobs, in order to determine corrective measures needed to improve the accuracy of estimating and improving methods of doing work.
• Keeps the Maintenance Manager properly informed on all abnormal or critical situations and seeks advice on matters outside of the planner’s knowledge or authority.
• Making recommendations for system improvement
• Maintains necessary records and files and prepares and distributes meaningful and accurate control reports.
• Performs other tasks and special assignments as requested by the Maintenance Manager.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Experience with materials characterization techniques
• Must enjoy hands‑on work
• Ability tomulti-taskand adjust priorities based on needs of the business
• Proficient in basic computer functions (Office, web)
• Excellent communication, time-management,and documentation skills

WORK ENVIRONMENT - Onsite Plant

Our mission is simple and bold:to build brighter, more connected communities through cutting‑edge optical technologies.

Working at LIGHTERA means having the opportunity to realize ideas, experience innovation, and discover new solutions for the future. In addition to our dynamic work environment, we offer competitive salaries and generous benefits programs, including medical, dental, tuition reimbursement, and a matching 401(k) plan.

Employees are expected to serve as role models for safe work practices and behaviors. This includes following established health and safety policies and procedures, maintaining a clean, organized work area, wearing, and properly storing all personal protective equipment (PPE), and actively engaging as a safety conscious worker with personal safety and wellness as a priority.

About Lightera

Lightera is a global leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions, delivering innovative technologies that drive communication networks, data centers, and specialty photonics applications. With a deep legacy of expertise in optical science, we provide high-performance solutions that enable faster, more reliable, and more sustainable connections for businesses, communities, and industries worldwide.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, U.S.A., Lightera operates with a global footprint, serving customers across telecommunications, enterprise, industrial, generative AI, data centers, 5G/6G, utilities, medical, aerospace, defense, and sensing markets. Lightera is part of Furukawa Electric Group, a multi-billion-dollar leader in optical communications.

Lightera is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.

Location(s)

6305 Crescent Drive, Norcross , Georgia 30071 , United States

Position Type

Full-time

Employee Class

Regular Employee