Production Planner

Ecore International; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Ecore International in Lancaster, PA is seeking a Production Planner I to develop and maintain production schedules that align with customer demand while optimizing inventory, capacity, and labor utilization. This role uses ERP/MRP to plan and release orders and collaborates with Sales, Operations, Purchasing and Finance to meet goals.

You'll analyze production plans, monitor performance, and drive continuous improvements on the floor, ensuring schedules are executed accurately and efficiently.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• 1-3 years of experience in Production Planning, Scheduling, or Inventory Control.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (Epicor or similar).
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Create a rolling Production Plan for all operations and ensure BOMs and routings are accurate.
• Interact with customer service to align ship dates and inform of scheduling issues.
• Release jobs from ERP to resources and monitor actual output vs. plan.
• Maintain inventory accuracy and drive process improvements.
• Collaborate with supervisors and operators to ensure adherence to plans.

Skills

Production planning

Scheduling

Inventory control

ERP/MRP systems

Microsoft Office

Analytical problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Verbal and written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Epicor ERP/MRP

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Summary:

The Production Planner I is responsible for scheduling manufacturing for the assigned department(s) to meet customer demand while carrying minimum inventory. The qualified individual for this position will utilize an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to schedule production in such a manner to effectively utilize facility capacity, workforce and material resources across multiple departments. This position will communicate and work with Sales, Operations, Technical, Finance and Purchasing groups to meet business goals.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create a rolling Production Plan for all operations - examples include mixing, peeling, re-rolling, laminating, etc.;ensure bills of materials and routings are accurate and create an efficient work flow; analyze and identify opportunities and risks associated with the options built into the Production Plan to successfully meet order deadlines
• Interact with customer service to ensure realistic and satisfactory customer ship dates and proactively inform of any schedule issues to provide best in the industry customer experience
• Maintain& release jobs to the various resources from sales orders inthe Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system
• Monitor actual output versus the Production Plan and ensure inventory accuracy of < 98%
• Analyze, identify and drive solutions to problems within the production/inventory processes
• Evaluate current planning tools and processes; champion and drive improvement solutions
• Provides shipping departments with a list of materials needing transferred between the manufacturing plants
• Works with supervisors to ensure production plans are being followed through with
• Interacts with operators to understand processes and to be aware of production issues

Location: Onsite Lancaster, PA
Salary Range: $60,000 - $65,000 annually

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship now or in the future.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Production Planner I to join our manufacturing team. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining production schedules that align with customer demand while optimizing inventory levels, capacity, workforce utilization, and material resources. This position offers the opportunity to work cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Purchasing, Finance, and Technical teams while contributing to continuous improvement initiatives across the organization.

If you enjoy solving operational challenges, analyzing production processes, and collaborating with manufacturing teams to drive results, we'd love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain rolling production schedules for manufacturing operations.
• Utilize ERP/MRP systems to plan and release production orders.
• Analyze production plans to identify risks, opportunities, and process improvements.
• Monitor inventory levels and maintain inventory accuracy goals.
• Collaborate with Customer Service to establish realistic ship dates and proactively communicate scheduling concerns.
• Work with production supervisors and operators to ensure adherence to production plans.
• Evaluate planning processes and tools, recommending and implementing improvements.
• Coordinate material transfers between manufacturing facilities as needed.
• Analyze production and inventory issues and drive effective solutions.
• Monitor actual production output against planned schedules.

What You'll Be Doing

A typical day includes reviewing overnight system-generated production schedules, analyzing production performance, identifying opportunities for improvement, creating and adjusting production plans, and collaborating directly with production teams on the manufacturing floor to ensure schedules are being executed effectively.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Statistics, Supply Chain, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
• 1-3 years of experience in:
  • Production Planning
  • Scheduling
  • Inventory Control
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (Epicor or similar preferred).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multiple departments and teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a manufacturing environment.
• APICS certification preferred.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, productivity metrics, and operational efficiencies.
• Experience collaborating with production teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to influence outcomes.

What Success Looks Like

Successful candidates will quickly learn the production planning process, build strong relationships across the manufacturing facility, and help drive improvements in scheduling accuracy, inventory management, and overall operational efficiency.

Work Environment

This role operates in both an office and manufacturing setting. The position may require time on the production floor where exposure to machinery, noise, temperature variations, and manufacturing processes is common. Appropriate PPE will be required when working in production areas.

Why Join Us?

• Collaborative and supportive team environment.
• Opportunity to make a direct impact on manufacturing operations.
• Cross-functional exposure across multiple business departments.
• Continuous improvement culture that values innovation and employee input.
• Potential future hybrid work flexibility.