Production Planner

Actalent; Minnesota; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent seeks a Production Planner to forecast, plan, and schedule production in a manufacturing environment. You will manage inventory, demand planning, purchasing, and schedule execution on the shop floor to optimize flow of materials and meet customer needs.

The role requires strong experience with ERP/MRP systems, GAINS and Oracle, and lean manufacturing principles to drive continuous improvement in planning activities.

Qualifications

• ERP systems proficiency for production planning and materials management.
• Strong Excel experience with large data sets for planning and reporting.
• Experience with multi-level BOMs and MRP processes.
• Knowledge of supply chain concepts: demand planning, procurement, and inventory mgmt.
• Understanding of lean manufacturing concepts and practices.
• Hands-on experience with production planning, scheduling, and control.

Responsibilities

• Forecast, plan, and schedule products to meet customer requirements efficiently.
• Manage inventory, demand planning, purchasing, and shop-floor scheduling.

Skills

ERP systems

Excel

BOMs

MRP

GAINS

Oracle

Lean manufacturing

Inventory management

Scheduling

Production planning

Data analysis

Supplier coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management / Logistics & SCM

Tools

GAINS

Oracle

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Production Planner

This role focuses on forecasting, planning, and scheduling production within a manufacturing environment to ensure customer needs are met in a timely and efficient manner. The Production Planner manages inventory, demand planning, purchasing, and schedule execution on the shop floor while optimizing the flow of externally procured materials into the factory. The position requires effective use of planning systems and tools to balance supply and demand, maintain optimal inventory levels, and support continuous process improvement in materials and production planning activities.

Responsibilities

• Forecast, plan, and schedule assigned products within a manufacturing environment to meet customer requirements in the most timely and efficient manner.
• Gain ownership of the role by managing inventory, demand planning, purchasing activities, and schedule execution on the shop floor.
• Plan and execute the flow of externally procured materials from suppliers into the factory for assigned products to ensure inventory optimization and consistent material flow.
• Plan all purchased and manufactured parts using the most appropriate ordering approaches, including EOQ, min/max, fixed days, Kanban, and MRP.
• Ensure accurate planning parameters are established and maintained in planning systems such as GAINS and Oracle.
• Schedule manufacturing orders and monitor progress to ensure customer requirements and delivery commitments are consistently met.
• Provide work direction and prioritize production schedules on the shop floor to support efficient operations and on-time delivery.
• Manage all inventory within assigned areas to ensure cell objectives are achieved and aligned with overall company inventory and service goals.
• Proactively communicate supply shortages, delivery changes, and quality issues to relevant stakeholders in a timely manner to minimize impact on production and customers.
• Utilize the MRP system to create buying plans, regulate safety stock levels, and recommend expedites or de‑expedites to balance demand fulfillment with optimal inventory levels.
• Ensure the GAINS system is accurately maintained and analyze all system exceptions to drive appropriate planning decisions.
• Use GAINS to create, adjust, and maintain product and component forecasts that drive the Oracle planning system while analyzing supply and demand imbalances.
• Define, drive, and implement process and system improvements related to materials activities to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Provide timely and accurate planning data and results to streamline processes and support continuous improvement in production and materials management.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and planning or related experience in a manufacturing or distribution environment.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize ERP systems efficiently and effectively for production planning and materials management.
• Strong Microsoft Excel experience, including handling and analyzing large data sets for planning and reporting.
• Experience planning products with multi-level bills of materials (BOMs).
• Knowledge of supply chain concepts, including demand planning, procurement, and inventory management.
• Understanding of lean manufacturing concepts, practices, and procedures.
• Hands-on experience with production planning, production scheduling, and production control in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience using MRP for creating buying plans, managing safety stock, and aligning supply with demand.
• Ability to manage inventory effectively to meet operational and customer service objectives.
• Capability to prioritize and direct work on the shop floor to support production schedules and customer commitments.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working with GAINS and Oracle or similar planning and ERP systems.
• Familiarity with ordering approaches such as EOQ, min/max, fixed days, Kanban, and other replenishment strategies.
• Experience in a manufacturing or distribution environment with exposure to end-to-end supply chain processes.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret planning exceptions and take appropriate corrective actions.
• Ability to identify, propose, and implement process and systems improvements in materials and production planning.
• Effective communication skills to collaborate with suppliers, production teams, and internal stakeholders regarding supply, demand, and quality issues.