Production Planner

RodgersHouder: Human Capital Solutions; Oakbrook Terrace (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

RodgersHouder: Human Capital Solutions is assisting a premier, privately-held food manufacturer based in Oak Brook with hiring a Production Planner. The role centers on creating and maintaining a master production schedule that aligns customer demand with labor, capacity and inventory constraints within a cross-functional team.

You will translate forecasts into actionable plans, monitor finished goods and WIP, and ensure ERP/MRP schedules reflect allergen controls and efficient line operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field.
• 5+ years of experience in production planning, supply chain, manufacturing or operations.
• Knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, allergens and general food safety practices is highly beneficial.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly production schedule.
• Translate demand forecasts and customer orders into a coherent production plan.
• Monitor inventory levels of finished goods and schedule appropriate production levels.
• Monitor daily schedule attainment and adjust for carryover production.
• Coordinate schedule changes with all departments to match capacity and labor.
• Help minimize downtime, changeovers, waste and obsolescence.
• Track WIP levels and fit final processing into the schedule to minimize disruptions.
• Maintain ERP/MRP schedules for smooth production.
• Adhere to scheduling rules regarding allergens and washdowns in the ERP system.
• Participate in daily production meetings and cross-department discussions on continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support capacity planning, identify bottlenecks and propose solutions to maintain schedules across lines.
• Collaborate with leadership to develop efficiency and labor reports.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Communication

Organizational skills

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain or operations management, business, industrial engineering, or related fields

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

In partnership with our client, a premier, privately-held food manufacturer based in Oak Brook, we are seeking an experienced Production Planner with food manufacturing experience.

As a Production Planner, you will be responsible for creation of a schedule that aligns and balances customer demand, labor, production line capacity and inventory constraints while working closely with production, quality, supply chain, maintenance and sales departments as part of a cross functional team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly production schedule.
• Translate demand forecasts and customer orders into a coherent production plan.
• Monitor inventory levels of finished goods and schedule appropriate levels of production in order to maximize production efficiency.
• Monitor daily schedule attainment and adjust daily schedule to accommodate carryover production.
• Coordinate production schedule changes with all departments to ensure production levels properly match line capacity and labor in response to unplanned issues.
• Help to minimize production downtime, limit changeovers, waste and obsolescence.
• Track WIP (work in process) levels and fit final processing of these items into schedule where appropriate to minimize disruptions and other schedule changes.
• Maintain accurate ERP/MRP schedules to assure smooth and efficient production.
• Work within ERP system to adhere to scheduling rules regarding allergens, schedule washdowns where appropriate.
• Participate in daily production meetings to ensure smooth flow of communication across departments.
• Participate in roundtable discussions with multiple departments and upper management regarding continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support capacity planning, identify potential bottlenecks and propose creative solutions to maintain schedules and smooth production across all lines.
• Work directly with Chief Operating Officer to develop efficiency and labor reports to monitor performance and adherence to plan.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain or operations management, business, industrial engineering, or related fields.
• 5+ years of experience in production planning, supply chain, manufacturing or operations.
• Knowledge of GMP’s, HACCP, allergens and general food safety practices extremely helpful.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.