Production Planner-Direct Hire

Kelly Services; Hampton (VA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Kelly Services is seeking an experienced Production Planner / Manufacturing Process Planner for a direct-hire role in Hampton, VA. You will coordinate production, manage capacity, and develop manufacturing processes in a defense manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities include reviewing schedules, balancing workloads, coordinating with receiving and shop teams, and translating engineering requirements into clear manufacturing plans using ERP and routing/bill of material knowledge. 1st shift.

Qualifications

• Experience in production planning and ERP coordination.
• Ability to manage capacity and production scheduling.
• Knowledge of routing sheets, BOMs, and work centers.

Responsibilities

• Review production schedules and prioritize workload.
• Balance workload across manufacturing departments.
• Coordinate with receiving to ensure parts availability.
• Generate capacity and workload reports.
• Establish daily priorities by work center.
• Expedite critical operations when schedules are at risk.
• Adjust schedules for material shortages or equipment issues.

Skills

Production planning

Manufacturing planning

Production control

Manufacturing engineering

Process planning

Machining or fabrication environments

Aerospace or defense manufacturing

Complex engineered-to-order

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Production Planner / Manufacturing Process Planner

Direct Hire | $75,000–$80,000/year | 1st Shift | Hampton, VA

Kelly Services is hiring an experienced Production Planner / Manufacturing Process Planner for a direct-hire opportunity with a defense manufacturing organization in Hampton, VA.

If you enjoy coordinating production, solving scheduling challenges, working with ERP systems, and partnering with manufacturing teams to keep complex products moving through the shop, this could be a strong next step.

This role combines production planning, capacity management, manufacturing process development, ERP coordination, and continuous improvement in a highly technical manufacturing environment supporting defense-related products.

Job Details

Location: Hampton, VA

Salary: $75,000–$80,000 annually

Shift: 1st Shift

Hours: 7:00 AM–3:30 PM

Employment Type: Direct Hire

Why You'll Want This Job

• $75,000–$80,000 annual salary
• Direct-hire opportunity
• Consistent 1st-shift schedule
• Work in a specialized defense manufacturing environment
• High-visibility role supporting production, machining, fabrication, and assembly
• Opportunity to influence production flow, capacity, quality, and cost
• Work closely with supervisors, engineering, receiving, operations, and shop teams
• Use ERP, capacity planning, routing, BOM, and manufacturing process knowledge
• Opportunity to improve processes rather than simply maintain schedules
• Strong fit for someone who enjoys both analytical work and shop-floor interaction

What You'll Be Doing

As a Production Planner / Manufacturing Process Planner, you'll help ensure materials, machines, people, and production priorities are aligned to meet customer and manufacturing requirements.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Reviewing and prioritizing production schedules
• Balancing workload and resource capacity across manufacturing departments
• Identifying overdue materials and production constraints
• Establishing sequencing and completion dates based on job priorities
• Coordinating movement of materials throughout the facility
• Monitoring the status and location of work-in-process materials
• Reviewing work orders for accuracy and completeness
• Coordinating with receiving to ensure parts are available when machining or fabrication is scheduled
• Generating capacity and workload reports
• Establishing daily priorities by work center or resource group
• Working directly with supervisors to balance workload and production requirements
• Expediting critical operations when schedules are at risk
• Adjusting schedules when material shortages, equipment issues, or changing priorities arise

ERP, Routings & Manufacturing Planning

A major part of this role involves translating engineering requirements into clear manufacturing plans.

You'll:

• Work within an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system
• Review components, subcomponents, routing sheets, and travelers
• Develop and update manufacturing routing sheets
• Enter and maintain bills of material
• Develop temporary routings for rework, special handling, or production workarounds
• Review repeat production jobs against current engineering and contract requirements
• Evaluate existing processes for quality, productivity, cost, and flow improvements
• Create operation sketches and manufacturing instructions
• Help determine the most efficient sequence of machining, fabrication, and assembly operations

Manufacturing Process Improvement

You'll also support continuous improvement efforts throughout the operation by:

• Developing improved manufacturing processes
• Applying Lean manufacturing principles
• Supporting preventive and corrective action activitiesParticipating in Root Cause Analysis
• Reviewing quality and cost data to identify process variation
• Investigating cost overruns and production inefficiencies
• Identifying opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and material flow
• Developing packaging or handling methods to protect finished products during transportation
• Troubleshooting manufacturing processes using analytical and statistical tools

What We're Looking For

This could be a strong fit if you have experience in:

• Production planning
• Manufacturing planning
• Production control
• Manufacturing engineering
• Process planning
• Machining or fabrication environments
• Aerospace or defense manufacturing
• Complex engineered-to-order manufacturing

We're especially interested in candidates who understand:

• Production scheduling and capacity planning
• ERP or MRP systems
• Bills of material
• Routings and travelers
• Work centers and machine capacity
• Machining, fabrication, and assembly processes
• Manufacturing work standards
• Shop-floor scheduling and workflow
• Quality and cost improvement
• Root Cause Analysis
• Lean manufacturing principles

Technical Skills That Will Help You Succeed

• Strong ERP system knowledge
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• Microsoft Word, Outlook, and related business applications
• Ability to analyze production workload by machine, department, and labor availability
• Understanding of machining, fabrication, and assembly fundamentals
• Ability to read and understand technical manufacturing documentation
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to communicate production priorities clearly across departments
• Experience developing manufacturing routings and BOMs

Experience with 2D/3D CAD systems is also valuable, particularly for reviewing or developing manufacturing sketches and models.

Additional Manufacturing Knowledge

Experience or familiarity with any of the following is a plus:

• CNC machining
• Metal fabrication
• Welding
• Assembly operations
• Heat treatment
• Surface treatments
• Coatings and finishes
• Non-destructive testing
• Supplier special processes
• Statistical problem-solving tools
• Defense or aerospace quality requirements

What Will Make You Successful

This role requires someone who can see both the spreadsheet and the shop floor.

You'll need to be able to:

• Anticipate production challenges before they become delays
• Reprioritize quickly when conditions change
• Communicate effectively with supervisors, engineers, production employees, and customers
• Understand how machines, labor, materials, and schedules affect one another
• Balance customer priorities with production capabilities
• Work independently while collaborating across multiple departments
• Maintain strong attention to detail in a complex manufacturing environment

Help Keep Complex Manufacturing Moving

If you have experience with production planning, ERP systems, capacity scheduling, manufacturing routings, machining, fabrication, or process improvement , this is an opportunity to take ownership of production flow in a technically challenging defense manufacturing environment.

As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Please note: The following benefits reflect Kelly's general offerings. Eligibility may vary by assignment, location, and job type. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan. Click here (https://www.mykelly.com/help-support-working-with-kelly-us/#Benefits) for more information on benefits and perks that may be available to you as a member of the Kelly Talent Community.

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About Kelly

Work changes everything. And at Kelly, we’re obsessed with where it can take you. To us, it’s about more than simply accepting your next job opportunity. It’s the fuel that powers every next step of your life. It’s the ripple effect that changes and improves everything for your family, your community, and the world. Which is why, here at Kelly, we are dedicated to providing you with limitless opportunities to enrich your life—just ask the 300,000 people we employ each year.

Kelly is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and we take affirmative action to recruit, employ, and advance qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in the workforce. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to the Kelly Human Resource Knowledge Center. Kelly complies with the requirements of California’s state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment. Kelly participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

Kelly may use AI-powered tools during the recruitment and hiring process. For full details, including how Kelly uses AI, your rights, and how to request a reasonable accommodation, visit the Recruitment Artificial Intelligence Notice (https://www.kellyservices.com/hubfs/myKelly/Resources/Employment_Policies/Recruitment-Artificial-Intelligence-Notice.pdf?hsLang=en) .

Kelly Services is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmatif Action employer. We welcome, value, and embrace diversity at all levels and are committed to building a team that is inclusive of a variety of backgrounds, communities, perspectives, and abilities. At Kelly, we believe that the more inclusive we are , the better services we can provide. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to Kelly’s Human Resource Knowledge Center. Kelly complies with the requirements of California’s state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment.