Production Planner/Scheduler

US05 Lonza Houston Inc.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Lonza Group Ltd. in Houston TX is seeking a Production Planner/Scheduler to translate demand into actionable short-term production plans, balance capacity constraints, and ensure on-time, quality-driven output across multiple lines.

You will collaborate with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, and QA, maintain accurate schedules in the planning system, monitor KPIs, and drive continuous improvement initiatives to optimize sequencing, material flow, and resource usage.

Qualifications

• Strong verbal and written communication across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality and Customer Operations.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced planning environment.
• Proven problem-solving and analytical skills to identify supply risks and mitigate them.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and drive alignment to business objectives.
• Experience managing inventory, material requirements, production planning, and supply continuity.
• Proficiency in SAP, Microsoft Excel, and planning systems to analyze complex data.
• Ability to deliver results under tight deadlines and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Create, track and maintain short-term schedules to provide visibility to defined departments.
• Incorporate input from all relevant departments to ensure schedules are realistic.
• Drive optimization of schedules by balancing demand priorities against production sequencing and resource utilization.
• Maintain accurate production schedule for the MRP process.
• Review production documents to determine personnel and material requirements.
• Plan production commitments using sales forecasts.
• Monitor production data and KPI trends for continuous improvement.
• Ensure changes are incorporated into schedules in a timely manner.
• Maintain planning system parameters for optimal scheduling functionality.
• Generate KPIs and operational measures to identify trends or root causes of sub-optimal performance.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Inventory management

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Planning systems

Job description

Production Planner/Scheduler

The actual location of this job is in Houston TX, US.

What you will get:

• An agile career and dynamic working culture.
• An inclusive and ethical workplace.
• Compensation programs that recognize high performance.
• A variety of benefits dependent on role and location.
• The full list of our global benefits can be found here: https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits.

What you will do:

• Create, track and maintain the short term schedules to provide visibility to defined departments to drive short term execution of plans
• Incorporate input from all relevant departments to ensure schedules are realistic within relevant constraints and latest information
• Drive optimization of schedules by balancing demand priorities against optimal production sequencing and efficient resource (facility/suite, equipment, staff, materials etc.) utilization.
• Maintain accurate production schedule, providing data for the MRP process to meet production demands
• Review documents such as production schedules, work orders, and staffing tables to determine personnel and materials requirements, and material priorities
• Work with New Product Introduction to establish Bills of Material, routing, and information on required equipment, numbers of workers needed, and cost projections
• Plan production commitments and timetables for business units, specific programs, and/or jobs, using sales forecasts
• Monitor production data, including volume produced, consumption of raw materials, and quality control measures, using this information for Continuous Improvement activities such as maintenance of routing and BOM’s, increasing accuracy of production schedule and efficiency reporting
• Ensure all feedback regarding changes to existing plans is incorporated into schedules in timely manner
• Maintain detailed planning and scheduling parameters in planning system to allow optimal use of system scheduling functionality
• Generate relevant KPI and operational measures to support identification of trends or root causing of sub-optimal performance

What we are looking for:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality, and Customer Operations.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain accuracy in a fast-paced planning environment.
• Proven problem-solving and analytical skills to identify supply risks, inventory challenges, and develop effective mitigation plans.
• Ability to work cross-functionally, build strong stakeholder relationships, and drive alignment to achieve business objectives.
• Experience managing inventory, material requirements, production planning, and supply continuity while meeting customer demand.
• Proficiency in SAP, Microsoft Excel, and inventory management/planning systems with the ability to analyze and interpret complex data.
• Ability to deliver results under tight deadlines, adapt to changing priorities, and support continuous improvement initiatives within the supply chain organization.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of. Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board. Ready to shape the future of life sciences?

Every day, our teams across the world work together to turn scientific breakthroughs into life-changing medicines that reach up to 100 million patients a year. Lonza is a place where people can make a unique impact, grow their careers and belong.

You will feel at home at Lonza if you:

• Take ownership, step forward, and enjoy meaningful responsibility
• Love solving problems and thrive in a complex, fast-moving environment
• Are curious, always looking to learn and improve
• Work collaboratively, contributing to something bigger than yourself
• Are motivated to make a difference through work that impacts customers and their patients

Why Lonza:

We are a place of unique opportunity, where your ideas, expertise and ambition can make a real difference. Here, you will have the freedom to grow, the support to succeed and the chance to contribute to work that matters. We are the makers of the medicines of tomorrow. Join us. Be you.