Production Planner – Defense

Software Placement Group; Petersburg (VA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Software Placement Group is seeking an experienced Production Planner in Petersburg, VA. The role links production, procurement, inventory, suppliers, and customer demand to ensure material availability and achievable schedules. Relocation is provided for this position.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in production or supply chain planning within regulated manufacturing, with strong Excel and ERP/MRP skills and experience coordinating cross-functional teams to meet delivery commitments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of production planning, materials planning, manufacturing scheduling, or supply chain planning experience.
• Experience in a highly regulated environment such as aerospace/defense or similar.
• Experience in manufacturing with complex production schedules.
• Knowledge of demand planning and long-range forecasting methodologies.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, data analysis and reporting.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems.
• Experience managing supplier performance and material shortages.
• Experience leading inventory audits and accuracy initiatives.
• Supports 6-12 month planning horizons or greater.
• US Person status required due to ITAR and defense-related business requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain daily, weekly, monthly, and long-range production schedules.
• Build and manage a rolling 12-month production forecast and planning process.
• Analyze material requirements and maintain inventory to support schedules.
• Monitor supplier performance and resolve issues affecting deliveries.
• Coordinate with production, operations, procurement, quality, and supply chain teams.
• Manage ERP/MRP planning data and parameters for forecasting and inventory control.
• Track production progress and adjust schedules for changing priorities.
• Lead inventory accuracy initiatives including cycle counts and audits.
• Identify delivery risks and implement corrective action plans.
• Monitor KPIs: delivery, inventory, forecast accuracy, schedule attainment, supplier performance.

Skills

Production planning

Forecasting

Inventory management

Cross-functional coordination

Advanced Excel

ERP/MRP experience

Supplier performance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain/Operations/Engineering

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Infor ERP

Job description

Location: Petersburg, Virginia | Schedule: Full-time, on-site (90% On-Site, work-from-home Fridays) | Compensation: $75,000 - $90,000

Overview

A trusted manufacturer supporting military, defense, and high-speed rail industries is seeking an energetic, highly driven Production Planner. This role serves as the central link between production, procurement, inventory, suppliers, and customer demand, ensuring materials are available, production schedules are achievable, and customer commitments are met. Relocation Provided for this position.

What you'll do

• Develop and maintain daily, weekly, monthly, and long-range production schedules to meet customer demand, inventory targets, and manufacturing capacity requirements


• Build and manage a rolling 12-month production forecast and planning process, monitoring customer forecasts, order trends, and demand fluctuations to proactively adjust production plans


• Analyze material requirements and ensure inventory levels support production schedules while minimizing stockouts, excess inventory, and production disruptions


• Monitor supplier performance, material shortages, lead-time adherence, and quality concerns, partnering with suppliers and procurement teams to proactively resolve issues that could impact customer deliveries


• Coordinate closely with production, operations, procurement, quality, and supply chain teams to ensure material availability, schedule attainment, and on-time delivery performance


• Manage ERP/MRP planning parameters and maintain accurate planning data to support forecasting, scheduling, inventory control, and operational decision-making


• Track production progress and adjust schedules to address changing priorities, customer requirements, manufacturing constraints, and supply chain challenges


• Lead inventory accuracy initiatives, including cycle counts, audits, reconciliations, and system maintenance


• Identify risks to customer delivery commitments and implement corrective action plans to improve delivery performance and customer satisfaction


• Monitor and report on key performance indicators including delivery performance, inventory levels, forecast accuracy, schedule attainment, supplier performance, and inventory accuracy


• Support Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes and long-range capacity planning activities to align production requirements with business objectives


• Generate reports, planning analyses, and operational metrics for leadership to support strategic and tactical decision-making


• Develop a thorough understanding of manufacturing processes, products, materials, and operational constraints to improve planning effectiveness and responsiveness


• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on planning efficiency, inventory optimization, supply chain reliability, customer responsiveness, and overall operational performance


• Provide exceptional customer-focused support through proactive communication, urgency, and problem-solving

Required qualifications

• 5+ years of production planning, materials planning, manufacturing scheduling, or supply chain planning experience


• Experience working in a highly regulated environment such as aerospace/defense, automotive, or similar


• Experience in a manufacturing environment with complex production schedules


• Knowledge of demand planning and long-range forecasting methodologies


• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, data analysis, and reporting


• Experience working within ERP/MRP systems


• Experience managing supplier performance and material shortages


• Experience leading inventory audits and inventory accuracy improvement initiatives


• Experience supporting production planning horizons of 6-12 months or greater


• Strong understanding of inventory management, forecasting, production scheduling, and capacity planning


• Proven ability to coordinate cross-functionally with production, procurement, operations, and supply chain teams


• U.S. Person status required due to ITAR and defense-related business requirements


• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or related field; equivalent experience considered

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with ITAR-regulated products and processes


• APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent)


• Experience with ERP- Infor

Compensation and benefits

• Salary range of $75,000 - $90,000


• Relocation Provided

Why this role

This is an excellent opportunity for a planner who enjoys fast-paced manufacturing environments, thrives under pressure, and wants to make a visible impact within an organization where leadership is highly invested in the success of this role.