Production Planning Manager

Dairy Farmers of America; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Benefits Package

401(k) with company contribution

Competitive pay

Paid vacation and holidays

Career growth opportunities

Service recognition and employee奖励

Employee referral program

Tuition reimbursement

Work for dairy farm families

Job summary

The Dairy Farmers of America Rockford, IL plant is seeking a Production Planning Manager to optimize production schedules, manage inventory and materials, coordinate logistics and procurement, and collaborate across functions to meet customer needs while supporting efficient plant operations.

Responsibilities include leading supervisors, managing purchasing and MRP, controlling inventory, overseeing receiving and warehousing, and driving continuous improvement through kaizen and audits, with

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in business or related curriculum preferred.
• 5–8 years of production planning or related experience with leadership attributes.
• Knowledge of manufacturing process flow and facility utilities impact.
• Strong leadership, coaching, supervision, and personnel management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to learn new systems quickly.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily production staff activities to meet orders at lowest cost while maintaining safety and quality standards.
• Recruit, supervise, schedule, develop, evaluate, and manage staff performance; apply work rules and policies.
• Oversee strategic purchasing, MRP, inventory control, warehousing, and receiving.
• Coordinate procurement of raw ingredients and packaging materials.
• Monitor WIP and finished goods; manage inventory levels to support operations and financial goals.
• Lead Kaizen events, corrective actions, and audits; track KPI data for the organization.
• Develop and maintain programs, spreadsheets, and records to ensure accuracy and currency.

Skills

Staff management

Recruitment

Scheduling

Procurement

Inventory control

Kaizen

KPIs

Leadership

Supervision

Team coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related curriculum

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Join our Rockford, IL team as a Production Planning Manager and play a pivotal role in driving operational success. You will be responsible for optimizing production schedules, managing inventory and materials, coordinating logistics and procurement activities, and collaborating across the organization to ensure customer needs are met while supporting efficient plant operations.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage daily operational activities of supervisors and production staff to ensure customer orders are received, scheduled, and produced at the lowest possible cost to meet the customer's requirements while maintaining established safety and quality standards.
• Manage assigned employees, including recruitment, supervision, scheduling, development, evaluation, and performance management. Understand and effectively apply work rules, union contract provisions, and employment policies. Administer discipline consistently and fairly. Work with Human Resources and plant management to resolve employee related issues.
• Manage activities related to strategic purchasing, material requirements planning, inventory control, warehousing, and receiving.
• Manage procurement and coordination of all raw ingredients and packaging material.
• Oversee the management of work in progress and finished goods inventory.
• Oversee and manage inventory levels to safeguard operational and financial goals.
• Lead and participate in kaizen events, corrective actions, and audits.
• Develop, maintain, and manage programs, spreadsheets and other record keeping methods to ensure accurate information is readily available and current.
• Track and report KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) as identified by the organization.

• Undergraduate degree in business or related curriculum preferred.
• 5 to 8 years of production planning, or related experience with demonstrated leadership attributes, team leadership, or supervisory experience; 1+ year of manager experience preferred.
• Knowledge of manufacturing process flow and importance to process; strong understanding of facility utility infrastructure and its impact to production throughput.
• Skill in leadership and coaching; knowledge of principles and practices of supervision, training, and personnel management.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and the ability to learn and adapt to new systems and technologies quickly.
• Certification and/or License - may be required during course of employment.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Benefits Package available 1st of the month after start date
• 401(k) with company contribution
• Competitive pay
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Career growth opportunities - we promote from within!
• Service recognition and employee rewards
• Employee referral program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Work for dairy farm families

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans