Planning Specialist

ACT Fulfillment, Inc.; Fontana (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

ACT Fulfillment, Inc. seeks a Planning Specialist to coordinate daily order planning and outbound shipments in a high-volume 3PL warehouse. You will manage order allocation, releases, wave planning, routing, carrier appointments, and shipping documentation to meet service windows.

You will work with Customer Service, Operations, Inventory Control, Transportation, and carriers to resolve issues, maintain system data in WMS/ERP/TMS, and ensure customer compliance throughout fulfillment.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years in order planning, fulfillment scheduling, logistics coordination, or related field.
• Experience with B2B, retail, e-commerce, or major retailer fulfillment preferred.
• Proficient with WMS/ERP/TMS systems and routing portals.

Responsibilities

• Plan and allocate orders, build warehouse waves, and monitor ship dates.
• Coordinate routing, carrier pickups, and scheduling with internal teams.
• Prepare and validate shipping docs (BOL, MBOL, SSCC labels).
• Ensure customer/compliance requirements are met and issues escalated.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Time management

Communication

Problem-solving

Multitasking

Teamwork

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Softeon WMS

Manhattan WMS

HighJump WMS

ERP systems

TMS platforms

Excel

Job description

Position SummaryThe Planning Specialist is responsible for coordinating and managing daily order planning and outbound shipment activities within a high-volume third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse environment. This position coordinates order allocation, order release, wave planning, routing, carrier appointments, shipping documentation, and customer-specific compliance requirements.The Planning Specialist serves as a primary operational link between customer requirements and warehouse execution. The position works closely with Customer Service, Operations, Inventory Control, Transportation, Shipping, and external carriers to ensure orders are planned and released accurately, shipped within required service windows, and processed in accordance with customer and retailer requirements.The position requires strong attention to detail, organizational skills, problem-solving ability, and the ability to manage multiple customer accounts and competing priorities in a time-sensitive environment.Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesOrder Planning and AllocationReview incoming B2B, retail, wholesale, and e-commerce orders.Review order requirements, ship windows, inventory availability, customer priorities, and carrier schedules.Allocate available inventory and coordinate order releases to support customer shipping requirements.Build and manage warehouse waves, batches, or work queues based on order volume, priorities, shipping deadlines, and operational capacity.Monitor order progress from release through shipment and identify orders at risk of missing required ship dates.Coordinate with Inventory Control and Operations to resolve inventory discrepancies or shortages affecting order fulfillment.Adjust order priorities based on changing customer requirements, inventory availability, warehouse capacity, and transportation schedules.Maintain accurate order status information within applicable systems.Routing and Transportation CoordinationSubmit routing requests through customer and retailer portals, including Retail Link, CommerceHub, TMS platforms, and other customer-specific systems.Review and follow customer routing guides, vendor compliance manuals, and carrier requirements.Coordinate carrier pickups and delivery appointments as required.Monitor routing approvals and follow up on pending, rejected, or incomplete routing requests.Communicate routing requirements and changes to warehouse and shipping personnel.Identify and escalate transportation or scheduling issues that may affect customer service.Coordinate with carriers and internal departments to resolve pickup, appointment, routing, and scheduling issues.Shipping DocumentationPrepare, review, and verify outbound shipping documentation.Generate and/or verify:Bills of Lading (BOL)Master Bills of Lading (MBOL)UCC-128 / SSCC labelsPallet manifestsCarton documentationCustomer-specific shipping documentationVerify shipment quantities, addresses, carrier information, routing instructions, and other required shipment details.Ensure required labels and documentation are accurate and available prior to shipment.Coordinate with warehouse and shipping personnel to correct documentation, labeling, or shipment discrepancies.Customer and Retailer ComplianceMaintain knowledge of customer-specific routing, labeling, packaging, shipping, and delivery requirements.Monitor orders for potential compliance issues prior to shipment.Identify and resolve potential violations involving:Late or incorrect routingIncorrect or missing labelsPackaging or pallet requirementsMissed carrier or delivery appointmentsIncorrect shipping documentationOther customer-specific compliance requirementsProactively communicate compliance risks to Operations and appropriate management personnel.Assist with investigation and resolution of chargebacks, deductions, and other customer compliance issues.Maintain records of compliance issues and assist with identifying root causes and corrective actions.Warehouse Operations CoordinationCoordinate daily order planning requirements with warehouse supervisors, operations personnel, picking teams, packing, inventory control, and shipping.Align order volume and shipping priorities with available warehouse capacity, labor, dock capacity, and carrier appointments.Monitor daily fulfillment progress against established shipping targets and customer deadlines.Communicate changes in order priorities and shipping requirements to appropriate warehouse personnel.Identify operational bottlenecks that may affect order completion or shipment timing.Escalate capacity, labor, inventory, transportation, or system issues that may impact service levels.Maintain regular communication with warehouse personnel to verify order and shipment status.Systems, Data and ReportingMaintain accurate order, inventory, routing, and shipment information in WMS, ERP, and TMS systems.Monitor system exceptions and take appropriate corrective action.Reconcile system information with physical warehouse and shipment activity when discrepancies occur.Prepare and maintain daily and weekly reports related to order volume, throughput, backlog, shipment status, routing, and compliance.Track order performance and compliance error rates.Use data to identify trends, discrepancies, operational issues, and opportunities for improvement.Maintain accurate records in accordance with company procedures and customer requirements.General ResponsibilitiesFollow all company policies, procedures, safety rules, and customer-specific operating requirements.Maintain confidentiality of customer, shipment, inventory, and company information.Communicate effectively with internal departments, customers, carriers, and other business partners.Prioritize work effectively in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by management.EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent required.Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.Experience2–4 years of experience in order planning, fulfillment scheduling, logistics coordination, transportation, warehouse operations, or a related field.Previous experience in a high-volume 3PL, distribution center, fulfillment center, or warehouse environment preferred.Experience supporting multiple customers or accounts with varying operational requirements preferred.Experience with B2B, retail, wholesale, e-commerce, or major retailer fulfillment preferred.Knowledge and Technical SkillsWorking knowledge of warehouse and distribution operations.Experience with WMS platforms such as Softeon, Manhattan, HighJump, or similar systems.Experience with ERP and/or TMS platforms.Experience using customer and retailer routing portals.Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, sorting, filtering, and data reconciliation.Understanding of freight terms, including FOB, Collect, and Prepaid.Working knowledge of BOLs, Master BOLs, UCC-128/SSCC labels, pallet manifests, and other shipping documentation.Understanding of pallet, carton, labeling, and packaging requirements.Skills and AbilitiesStrong attention to detail and accuracy.Ability to manage multiple customer accounts, orders, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.Strong organizational and time-management skills.Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.Ability to identify potential issues and take corrective action proactively.Strong written and verbal communication skills.Ability to communicate effectively with warehouse employees, supervisors, managers, customers, carriers, and other external partners.Ability to work independently while also functioning effectively as part of a cross-functional team.Ability to adapt to changing priorities and operational requirements.Physical RequirementsThe Planning Specialist works primarily in an office environment located within or adjacent to a warehouse/distribution facility. The position requires regular movement between office and warehouse areas. The employee must be able to:Sit at a workstation and work on a computer for extended periods.Stand and walk throughout the facility for extended periods.Walk safely on warehouse floors and navigate around pallets, racks, conveyors, carts, forklifts, and other material-handling equipment.Climb stairs and access various areas of the warehouse as required.Bend, stoop, crouch, kneel, and reach as necessary while inspecting or verifying shipments, pallets, labels, and documentation.Occasionally lift and/or carry materials weighing up to 25 pounds.Visually inspect cartons, pallets, labels, shipping documents, and computer screens for accuracy.Hear and communicate effectively in an active warehouse environment.Wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including safety footwear and other PPE as required.Maintain safe movement and awareness in areas with moving equipment and warehouse traffic.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.Work EnvironmentThe Planning Specialist works in a high-volume 3PL warehouse and office environment supporting multiple customers and operational activities.The position is exposed to normal warehouse conditions, including warehouse equipment, forklifts, conveyors, palletized product, noise, varying temperatures, and frequent employee and equipment traffic.The position may require occasional overtime, weekends, holidays, or adjusted work schedules based on customer requirements, peak periods, shipping volumes, and business needs.