Production Planner

McCain Foods; Oakbrook Terrace (IL); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Retirement benefits

Leave support

Well-being programs

Job summary

McCain Foods is seeking a Production Planner to join the North American Supply Planning team in Illinois. You will develop and manage detailed production plans to optimize inventory, support customer service targets, and maximize resource utilization.

You will collaborate with Customer Service, Demand Planning, Manufacturing, and other stakeholders to ensure executable plans aligned with business needs. The role reports to the Senior Manager, Supply Planning NA Potato, with hybrid work options

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field or equivalent experience.
• APICS certification is an asset to the role.
• 1-5 years in supply chain, production planning, or related field.
• Food manufacturing experience is preferred.
• Experience with SAP ECC and APO/SCM is preferred.
• Strong analytical capabilities with data-driven approach.
• Excel proficiency and business tools experience.
• Effective communication across levels and functions.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain detailed production schedules balancing demand, inventory, capacity, and efficiency.
• Support material, capacity, and financial planning activities with schedules.
• Achieve service targets while minimizing transportation costs and balancing inventory.
• Establish planning rules for sourcing, lot sizing, lead times, and constraints.
• Ensure schedules reflect manufacturing capabilities and constraints.
• Identify supply risks and coordinate with plants to implement solutions.
• Lead weekly scheduling meetings with plants to address challenges.
• Communicate recovery plans and mitigation strategies to stakeholders.
• Maintain scheduling parameters like calendars, lot sizes, safety stock, and sequencing.
• Monitor schedule adherence and adjust plans based on production performance.
• Partner with master data to reflect operational realities in planning rates.
• Participate in cross-functional projects and inventory optimization initiatives.
• Assist in resolving slow-moving or obsolete inventory.

Skills

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Microsoft Excel

Communication skills

Project management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Logistics / Business / Supply Chain / Operations Management

APICS certification (asset)

Tools

SAP ECC

APO/SCM systems

Job description

• Position Title: Production Planner
• Position Type: Regular - Full-Time
• Grade: Grade 04
• Requisition ID: 43644

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About The Role

McCain Foods has an opportunity for a Production Planner within the North American Supply Planning team. This role is responsible for developing and managing detailed production plans that optimize inventory levels, support customer service targets, maximize resource utilization, and drive cost-effective supply chain performance. The Production Planner partners with a broad range of cross‑functional stakeholders, including Customer Service, Demand Planning, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Procurement, Transportation, Sales, Marketing, and Strategic Supply Planning, to ensure supply plans are executable and aligned with business needs.

This role reports to the Senior Manager, Supply Planning NA Potato and can be located in Florenceville or Oakbrook.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Create and maintain detailed production schedules that support customer demand while balancing inventory, capacity, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure production schedules support material planning, capacity planning, and financial planning activities.
• Achieve service level targets while balancing inventory across the network and minimizing transportation costs.
• Establish and maintain planning rules for supply resources, including sourcing strategies, lot sizing, lead times, and operational constraints.
• Ensure schedules reflect manufacturing capabilities, structural constraints, available capacity, and planned exception activities.
• Proactively identify supply risks and partner with manufacturing plants and integrated supply chain teams to implement solutions.
• Lead weekly scheduling meetings with assigned plants to identify, negotiate, and resolve material, capacity, and service‑level challenges.
• Assess scheduling risks and gaps and communicate recovery plans and mitigation strategies to stakeholders.
• Maintain scheduling parameters including manufacturing calendars, lot sizes, safety stock levels, delivery times, and sequencing rules.
• Monitor plant schedule adherence and attainment, adjusting plans based on actual production performance.
• Partner with manufacturing and master data teams to ensure planning rates and production data accurately reflect operational realities.
• Participate in cross‑functional projects, inventory optimization initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Support the resolution of slow‑moving, obsolete, aged, diluted, and discontinued inventory.

What You’ll Need To Be Successful

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Logistics, Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will also be considered.
• APICS certification is considered an asset.
• 1-5 years of supply chain, production planning, demand planning, or related experience.
• Experience within the food manufacturing industry is preferred.
• Experience with SAP ECC and APO/SCM systems is preferred.
• Project management experience is considered an asset.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to work effectively with complex data sets.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency with business productivity tools.
• Excellent problem‑solving, organizational, and planning capabilities.
• Strong results orientation and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to build strong cross‑functional partnerships and influence stakeholders in a dynamic environment.

About The Team

The North American Supply Planning team is responsible for translating demand requirements into executable production and inventory plans that support customer service, operational efficiency, and business growth. The team works closely with Demand Planning, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Procurement, Transportation, Warehousing, and Commercial teams to ensure supply chain performance across McCain’s production network. The Production Planner plays a critical role in connecting strategic plans with day‑to‑day operational execution.

Leadership principles

At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

AI & Digital Capabilities

At McCain, AI and digital capabilities are part of how we work and innovate. We value curiosity toward emerging technologies and the thoughtful, responsible use of AI-enabled tools to improve outcomes as part of our future‑ready culture.

The McCain Experience

We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you’ll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we’re better together.

Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. We’re big believers in the power of working together in person—it helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and grow as a team. At the same time, we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office-based roles follow a hybrid model, with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location, so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.

Compensation Package

$58,800.00 - $78,500.00 . USD annually + Bonus eligibility

The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs. This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Benefits

At McCain, we’re on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person’s needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Well‑being programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned with applicable law and can vary by work level, location, and nature of the role. Additional benefit detail available during the application process.

Your well-being matters to us, and we’re here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work — and at home.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family‑owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain’s Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here.

Job Family

Supply Chain & Logistics

Location(s)

US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace

Company

McCain Foods USA, Inc.