MASTER PLANNER

Power Drives Inc.; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Power Drives Inc. is seeking a Master Planner in Buffalo, NY to own the master production schedule from demand intake through shipment. You will lead the planning/scheduling team, balance capacity and materials, and partner with sales, purchasing, and manufacturing to keep the schedule executable.

You will manage MPS/MRP, drive continuous improvement, and report KPIs like OTD/OTIF and inventory turns. Strong Sage X3 experience preferred.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in production planning, master scheduling, or materials management in a discrete manufacturing environment.
• At least 3 years in a supervisory or managerial role with direct reports.
• Proven track record of managing complex supply chains and leading a planning team.
• Hands-on experience translating demand signals into ERP-actionable schedules.
• APICS certification CPIM/CSCP and Sage X3 ERP experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, operations management, or business.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, coach, and develop the planning/scheduling team; set goals and conduct performance reviews.
• Own departmental planning processes, SOPs, and hiring for the planning function.
• Build and maintain the master production schedule to optimize capacity and inventory.
• Run MRP and issue work orders to balance manpower and machine utilization.
• Re-plan and adjust schedules in response to demand changes and disruptions.
• Coordinate daily production output and on-time releases; monitor KPIs.

Skills

Master scheduling

Leadership

MRP proficiency

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, operations management, or business

APICS / ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP)

Master’s degree in supply chain management or business (preferred)

Tools

Sage X3

Job description

Objective

The Master Planner owns the master production schedule from customer demand intake through shipment, maintaining a stable, executable plan in the ERP (Sage X3) that meets customer requirements while balancing capacity, materials, and inventory. This is a working‑manager role: the Master Planner is both the senior individual contributor for master scheduling and the leader of the planning function, supervising and developing the planning/scheduling team. The role is the central link between customer demand signals and the production floor, partnering closely with sales, purchasing, manufacturing, engineering, and quality to align materials, manpower, and equipment to priorities.

Minimum Requirements

• 7+ years in production planning, master scheduling, or materials management in a discrete manufacturing environment, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or managerial role with direct reports.
• Proven track record of managing complex supply chains and leading a planning or scheduling team in a manufacturing or distribution environment.
• Demonstrated command of master production scheduling (MPS), material requirements planning (MRP), and rough‑cut capacity planning, including lot‑sizing, safety‑stock, and planning‑time‑fence methodology.
• Hands‑on experience translating customer demand signals (release portals, EDI 830 forecasts and 862 firm releases) into ERP‑actionable schedules.
• Proficiency with a manufacturing ERP system; Sage X3 strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, operations management, or business— or equivalent planning experience.
• APICS / ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in supply chain management, operations management, or business administration.
• Automotive or OEM‑supplier experience (PPAP, EDI releases, customer scorecards).
• Lean / Six Sigma exposure.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Lead & Manage

• Supervise, coach, and develop the planning/scheduling team (1 direct report); set goals, conduct performance reviews, and build planning capability through training and cross‑training.
• Manage team workload allocation and coverage—including for unplanned absences—to keep the schedule moving without single‑point dependencies.
• Own departmental planning processes, standards, and SOPs; lead hiring and onboarding for the planning function.
• Represent planning in S&OP / production and leadership meetings, communicating performance, risks, and corrective actions to stakeholders.

Plan

• Build and maintain the master production schedule to optimize capacity utilization, raw‑material allocation, WIP, and finished‑goods inventory while protecting customer delivery dates.
• Set and enforce planning time fences; own change‑control authority over the firm schedule, including defined rules for accommodating customer drop‑in requests.
• Establish and maintain planning parameters in the item master—lead times, lot sizes, safety stocks, and reorder points—and own the integrity of this data, including correct part‑number formatting and lead‑time adjustments as delivery patterns change.

Execute & Monitor

• Convert customer demand (portal downloads, EDI forecasts and releases) into clean, correctly formatted ERP orders and schedules.
• Run MRP and issue work orders to the floor that balance manpower, machine utilization, and inventory levels.
• Re‑plan and adjust schedules in response to demand changes, supply‑chain disruptions, unplanned absences, and equipment downtime.
• Coordinate and monitor daily production output, scheduling commitments, on‑time releases, and overdue releases.
• Own and report core KPIs: schedule adherence / plan attainment, on‑time delivery (OTD/OTIF), past‑due backlog, inventory turns, forecast accuracy, and capacity utilization.

Cross‑Functional

• Partner with purchasing to ensure sufficient parts and materials are available against the plan.
• Establish production‑planning processes through collaboration with sales, engineering, purchasing, quality, and manufacturing.
• Interface effectively with internal teams and external customers on commitments, expedites, and changes.

Continuous Improvement

• Generate reports and analyses to assess the effectiveness of planning strategies and identify areas for improvement.
• Surface root causes of misses, propose corrective actions, and communicate performance metrics to relevant stakeholders.
• Drive measurable reduction in past‑due backlog and improvement in schedule stability over time.

Pay Range

$80,000-95,000 annual incentive plan in place. The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job’s compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods, use hands to operate a computer and other office equipment, and communicate effectively via phone and email. The employee may occasionally be required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and lift or move items weighing up to 10 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.