Master Planner

Alfa Laval Corporate AB; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

401(k)

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Alfa Laval is seeking a Service Center Master Planner to develop and manage the master schedule for service, repair, and reconditioning operations in Houston, TX. The role requires balancing labor, materials, and equipment to meet customer delivery commitments while adapting to changing priorities.

You will work cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Sales and Leadership to drive schedule execution, visibility, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in Supply Chain or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in production planning, master scheduling, manufacturing operations, or service operations planning.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred in related fields.
• Experience in manufacturing, repair, refurbishment, or industrial service environment preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of MS Project or equivalent project management software.
• Work experience with LEAN methodologies and/or similar applications.
• Strong business acumen and operational decision-making capability.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the master schedule for service, repair, and reconditioning jobs.
• Balance workload, labor availability, materials, and equipment capacity to meet delivery commitments.
• Monitor backlog, forecasted demand, and shop capacity to identify constraints and proactively address resource shortages.
• Adjust schedules based on changing customer priorities, material availability, and operational disruptions.
• Optimize workflow and production sequencing to improve turnaround time and resource utilization.
• Analyze bottlenecks and recommend corrective actions to improve throughput and schedule adherence.
• Coordinate priorities across operations, supply chain, and customer support teams to ensure execution of scheduled work.
• Monitor work-in-process (WIP) and drive resolution of delays impacting schedule performance.
• Ensure repair and service milestones are communicated and aligned across departments.
• Support escalation management for critical or high-priority customer jobs.
• Maintain accurate planning data within ERP and scheduling systems.
• Generate daily, weekly, and monthly planning reports for operational and leadership review.
• Analyze schedule performance, backlog trends, capacity utilization, and delivery metrics.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to improve planning accuracy, efficiency, and operational performance.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through planning analysis and process optimization.
• Lead or participate in planning, operations, and performance review meetings.
• Partner with leadership teams to support S&OP activities and long-range capacity planning.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations to support new programs, process improvements, and strategic initiatives.
• Promote standard work and planning discipline across the service center.
• Proactively communicate risks, changes and updates with relevant stakeholders
• Attend, participate and/or hold meetings as required (e.g. production, scheduling, kick-off, costing and close-out meetings).

Skills

Communication

Time management

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Associate's degree in Supply Chain or related field

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration preferred

Tools

MS Project

ERP systems

LEAN methodologies

Job description

Every day, we get opportunities to make a positive impact - on our colleagues, partners, customers and society. Together, we’re pioneering the solutions of the future and unlocking the full potential of precious resources. Trusted to act on initiative, we challenge conventional thinking to develop world-leading technologies that inspire progress in vital areas, including energy, food, water and shipping.

As we push forward, the innovative, open spirit that fuels our 140-year-old start-up culture and rapid growth also drives our personal growth. So, as we shape a more resourceful, less wasteful world, we build our careers too.

About the job:

The Service Center Master Planner is responsible for developing and managing the master schedule for manufacturing, repair, and reconditioning service operations. This role ensures efficient utilization of labor, materials, equipment, and capacity to meet customer delivery commitments while balancing changing priorities and operational demands.

The Master Planner works cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Sales, and Leadership to drive schedule execution, workflow visibility, and continuous improvement.

Currently, this is an onsite opportunity located in Houston, TX.

As a part of the team, you will:

Master Scheduling & Capacity Planning

• Develop and maintain the master schedule for service, repair, and reconditioning jobs.
• Balance workload, labor availability, materials, and equipment capacity to support customer delivery commitments.
• Monitor backlog, forecasted demand, and shop capacity to identify constraints and proactively address resource shortages.
• Adjust schedules based on changing customer priorities, material availability, and operational disruptions.
• Optimize workflow and production sequencing to improve turnaround time and resource utilization.
• Analyze bottlenecks and recommend corrective actions to improve throughput and schedule adherence.

Work Order & Operational Coordination

• Coordinate priorities across operations, supply chain, and customer support teams to ensure execution of scheduled work.
• Monitor work-in-process (WIP) and drive resolution of delays impacting schedule performance.
• Ensure repair and service milestones are communicated and aligned across departments.
• Support escalation management for critical or high-priority customer jobs.

Reporting & Data Analysis

• Maintain accurate planning data within ERP and scheduling systems.
• Generate daily, weekly, and monthly planning reports for operational and leadership review.
• Analyze schedule performance, backlog trends, capacity utilization, and delivery metrics.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to improve planning accuracy, efficiency, and operational performance.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through planning analysis and process optimization.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead or participate in planning, operations, and performance review meetings.
• Partner with leadership teams to support Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) activities and long-range capacity planning.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations to support new programs, process improvements, and strategic initiatives.
• Promote standard work and planning discipline across the service center.
• Proactively communicate risks, changes and updates with relevant stakeholders
• Attend, participate and/or hold meetings as required (e.g. production, scheduling, kick-off, costing and close-out meetings).

"We care about diversity, inclusion and equity in our recruitment processes. We also believe behavioral traits can provide important insights into a candidate's fit to a role. To help us achieve this we apply Pymetrics assessments, and upon application you will be invited to play the assessment games."

What you know:

You have an Associate's degree in Supply Chain or related field and:

• 3+ years of experience in production planning, master scheduling, manufacturing operations, or service operations planning.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration preferred.
• Experience in a manufacturing, repair, refurbishment, or industrial service environment preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of MS Project or equivalent project management software.
• Work experience with LEAN methodologies and/or similar applications.
• Strong business acumen and operational decision-making capability.
• Ability to proactively identify risks and implement scheduling solutions before impacts occur.
• Detail oriented with strong problem-solving ability.
• Effective time management.
• Strong process orientation.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Growth mindset and adaptability to change.

At Alfa Laval, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive and dynamic workplace that values diverse perspectives and experiences. While we typically welcome applicants from all locations, currently, we are prioritizing candidates who reside in the US or have an established presence in the area.

What’s in it for you?

We offer a challenging position in an open and friendly environment where we help each other to develop and create value. Your work will have a true impact on Alfa Laval’s future success. Our benefits-eligible associates enjoy healthcare, dental and vision plans, a robust wellness program, generous 401(k), paid holidays, paid time off benefits, and more. At Alfa Laval, we carefully consider a wide range of factors to determine your total compensation package. We rely on market indicators and consider your specific job, background, skills, and experience to get it right. The base salary for this role is typically $95,000 - $110,000.

Alfa Laval is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, or business need, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

#LI-DG1

EEO/Vet/Disabled Employer