Production Planner

Dairy Farmers of America; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

401(k) with company contribution

Competitive pay

Paid vacation and holidays

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Dairy Farmers of America is seeking a Production Planner for the Grand Rapids, MI facility to coordinate production and inventory control for dairy products including fluid milk, cream, and cultured items.

The role requires managing raw material orders, forecasting needs, and maintaining finished goods inventories to ensure customer service targets are met. Strong Excel skills and ERP familiarity are preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; bachelor’s degree preferred in business, supply chain, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in production planning, purchasing, and inventory management.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate production and inventory control to meet scheduled demands.
• Order raw ingredients for fluids and cultured products.
• Forecast production needs using promotions and past trends.
• Maintain finished goods inventories to meet service targets.
• Communicate information to supervisor for decisions.
• Schedule outbound cream loads and liaise with sales.

Skills

Production planning

Purchasing

Inventory management

Forecasting

Excel proficiency

Cross-functional coordination

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor's degree in business or supply chain

Tools

ERP system

Job description

We are currently seeking a Production Planner for our Country Fresh plant in Grand Rapids, MI, which produces fluid milk, cream and cultured products. In this critical role, you will coordinate plant production/inventory control activities to ensure the plant meets scheduled production demands and required inventory levels of raw materials and supplies.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Order all raw ingredients for fluid milk, cream and cultured products.
• Forecast production needs using promotional information and past trends. Plan production accordingly to avoid uncertainties and derive maximum utility from production resources.
• Ensure inventories of finished goods are maintained at a level to meet our customer service level targets.
• Communicate relevant information, events, and problems to supervisor for accurate decision-making and problem solving.
• Confirm inventories on Raw Milk Supply and work with DFA Procurement teams to meet locations' needs.
• Schedule outbound cream loads via Dairy.com
• Work as a liaison between plant and sales team to communicate and resolve customer service-related issues.
• Participate in sales warehouse meetings. Coordinate promotional information as it pertains to production and capacity utilization.
• Perform all duties against a set of standards, i.e., order fill rate, finished goods inventory levels, etc. with acceptable results.

• A high school diploma is required. A bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or related field of study is a plus.
• 3-5 years of experience in production planning, purchasing, inventory management is required.
• Fundamental knowledge of general business administration practices, including distribution, production, and accounting.
• Strong computer proficiency with Excel is required. Experience with an ERP system and adaptability to learn different software is desired.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Benefits Package available 1st of the month after start date
• 401(k) with company contribution
• Competitive pay
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Career growth opportunities - we promote from within!
• Service recognition and employee rewards
• Employee referral program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Work for dairy farm families

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans