Production Planner

Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company is seeking a Production Planner in St. Louis, Missouri.

The role focuses on developing and maintaining production schedules to balance customer demand with manufacturing capacity, while ensuring materials availability through proactive purchasing and supplier communication. You will partner with Manufacturing, Customer Service, Engineering, and Supply Chain to ensure on-time delivery, optimize efficiency, and support operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Associate degree preferred or equivalent experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in Planning, Supply Chain, Purchasing, or Manufacturing preferred.
• ERP/MRP systems experience required.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical problem-solving are expected.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain production schedules balancing demand and capacity.
• Monitor schedule attainment and adjust priorities as needed.
• Coordinate with Purchasing to ensure material availability and place purchase orders.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, Customer Service, and Quality to resolve constraints.
• Maintain planning data in ERP/MRP systems for real-time visibility.
• Track KPIs like on-time delivery and inventory to drive improvements.
• Support expediting processes with internal teams and suppliers.
• Contribute to Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Production planning

ERP/MRP systems

Advanced Excel

Cross-functional communication

Customer-focused mindset

Education

Associate degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Oracle ERP

Lean experience/certification

Job description

At Watlow's Global Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, we combine a rich legacy with forward-thinking innovation. Founded in 1922 in the heart of St. Louis, Watlow has grown from a small heating element manufacturer into a global leader in thermal systems. Our headquarters is more than just an office, it's a hub for collaboration, advanced engineering, and customer focused solutions.

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We are hiring a: Production Planner

St. Louis, Missouri

The Production Planner is responsible for developing and maintaining production schedules that balance customer demand and manufacturing capacity. This individual will also ensure optimal inventory and material availability through purchase order placement and communication with external suppliers. This role partners with Manufacturing, Customer Service, Engineering, and Supply Chain to ensure on-time delivery while optimizing efficiency and supporting operational excellence.

What you'll do:

• Production scheduling: Develop and maintain production schedules that balance customer demand and manufacturing capacity, reviewing forecasts, inventory, and material availability to build achievable production plans.
• Schedule attainment & prioritization: Monitor schedule attainment and adjust priorities as business needs change to keep production aligned with demand.
• Material & purchasing coordination: Coordinate with Purchasing to ensure material availability, and place purchase orders for raw components to support the production plan.
• Cross-functional problem solving: Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Customer Service, and Quality to resolve production constraints and keep orders on track.
• Systems & data management: Maintain planning data within ERP/MRP systems to ensure accurate, real-time visibility into schedules and materials.
• Performance & KPI tracking: Analyze KPIs including on-time delivery, inventory, and schedule adherence to drive continuous improvement.
• Communication & expediting: Facilitate clear communication and support the expedite process with both internal customers and external suppliers.
• Continuous improvement: Support Lean and continuous improvement initiatives across the planning and scheduling process.

What you'll need to succeed?

• Associate degree preferred, or equivalent experience
• 3-5 years of experience in Planning, Supply Chain, Purchasing, or Manufacturing preferred
• ERP/MRP systems experience required
• Advanced Excel skills
• Strong analytical problem-solving and cross-functional communication skills
• Customer-focused mindset

Preferred qualifications:

• Oracle ERP experience
• Lean experience or certification