Production Planner II

Acara Solutions, Inc.; City of Lockport (NY); On-site; USD 44,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

Acara Solutions, Inc. is seeking a Production Planner to ensure on-time delivery of products and to optimize raw and finished material usage.

You will coordinate with engineering, procurement, and manufacturing to align schedules with capacity and lead times. The role requires 1–3 years in production planning or material management within a dynamic manufacturing environment, with SAP experience and strong Excel/Power BI skills.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to present ideas clearly in writing and speech.
• Experience interpreting production plans and schedules.
• Familiarity with SAP and MRP concepts a plus.

Responsibilities

• Plans, schedules, coordinates and monitors production orders through the full cycle.
• Coordinates plans to ensure materials align with schedules.
• Communicates with management and cross-functional teams on capacity and delays.
• Assists with ECOs and production change coordination as needed.
• Maintains production control functions and material requirement planning.

Skills

Clear communication

Prioritization

Analytical thinking

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Excel

Word

Job description

Industry: Semiconductor/Industrial and Medical Product

Compensation: $32-43/hour

Schedule: Mon-Fri (7am - 3:30pm)

About the Opportunity:

Ensures on-time delivery of products to finished goods as scheduled by AE committed shipment date. Improves AE ability to meet
customer delivery requirements by understanding BU capacity, identifying constraints, and actively reducing lead times (availability)
by product. Minimizes AE investment in raw and finished material inventory where appropriate.

Why You'll Love Working Here:

• Supportive, team-driven culture that values collaboration, transparency, and accountability
• Opportunity to grow your career with a global workforce solutions leader serving multiple industries
• People-first environment that encourages employees to bring their authentic selves to work
• Strong focus on partnership, innovation, and delivering meaningful results for clients and candidates

Why This Opportunity is Exciting:

This role offers the chance to join a company that prioritizes both people and performance-where your contributions directly impact client success while giving you room to grow and develop professionally.

About Acara Solutions

Acara is a premier recruiting and workforce solutions provider-we help companies compete for talent. With a legacy of experience in various industries worldwide, we partner with clients, listen to their needs, and customize visionary talent solutions that drive desired business outcomes. We leverage decades of experience to deliver contingent staffing, direct placement, executive search, and workforce services worldwide.

What You'll Do:

• Plans, schedules, coordinates and/or monitors final approval of products through the complete production cycle.
• Coordinates production plans to ensure materials are provided according to schedules.
• Provides input to management; schedules and/or interfaces with marketing, sales, production and engineering managers.
• Works to resolve (in case of design changes) labor and material shortages, backlogs and other potential schedule interruptions.
• Develops and implements the company's production control functions including any of the following activities: master scheduling, production planning/coordination, shop scheduling and dispatching, material requirements, planning systems, work-in-process tracking, material and labor variance controls, and manufacturing performance reporting.
• Approves quantities, schedules and parts lists provided to the material control organization to ensure timely and complete ordering, as well as receipt and issuance of production material requirements.
• Coordinates and implements Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) in production.
• Analyzes long lead time parts and works with purchasing to develop custom supply solutions (e.g. point-of use material, line-side stocking, kanban, min-max supply, etc.)
• Performs scheduling, as required, to ensure continuity of supply during the transition to outside supplier. Verifies that all system variables are accurate and that the priority sequence of assemblies produced is integrated with the AE manufacturing plan.
• Works with Process Engineering, Test Engineering, Engineering, Engineering Services, Planning, Customer Support, Documentation, and work cells to implement ECOs. Ensures material availability prior to ECOs becoming active. Works with Materials on disposition of remaining material. Coordinates ECO rework of assemblies in the manufacturing process.
• Adhere to organizational requirements on quality management, health and safety, code of conduct, legal stipulations, environmental, 5S policies and general duty of care.

Job Requirements

What You'll Bring:

• Minimum of 1-3 years of experience in production planning or material management experience in a dynamic manufacturing environment

What Sets You Apart:

• Ability to present ideas in a clear and persuasive manner, both orally and in writing.
• Capability to respond quickly, decisively, assertively, and professionally to changing requirements in demand, product description, and material demand.
• Excellent judgment and initiative, including the ability to effectively balance multiple priorities
• Production planning or material management experience in a dynamic manufacturing environment, ideally PCBA /SMT experience Experience in a high mix/low volume, pull-based manufacturing environment.
• Proven track record of success and growth in positions of increasing responsibility.
• Previous experience with SAP.
• Thorough understanding of SAP or Material Requirements Planning (MRP), planning functions, and shop floor processes and materials.
• Ability to effectively interpret and summarize statistical reports.
• Excellent judgment and initiative, including the ability to effectively balance multiple priorities.
• Excellent understanding of true material lead times for all critical assemblies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills, including accurate data entry and experience with PC applications, such as Word (word-processing), Excel (spreadsheet), Power Bi, ad hoc queries, and/or relational databases.

Additional Information:

• Proven track record of success and growth in positions of increasing responsibility.
• Experience in a high mix/low volume, pull-based manufacturing environment.

Aleron companies (Acara Solutions, Aleron Shared Resources, Broadleaf Results, Lume Strategies, TalentRise, Viaduct) are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Color/Gender/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran.

Applicants for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position does not meet the employment requirements for individuals with F-1 OPT STEM work authorization status.