Production Planning & Scheduling Manager (AI & Analytics Focus)

Connect Staffing; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision

401(k) with company contribution

Paid vacation & holidays

Job summary

Connect Staffing seeks a Production Planning & Scheduling Manager to lead production planning through data analytics, forecasting, and AI-assisted scheduling tools in our Houston facility.

The role focuses on integrated scheduling across projects, capacity analysis, and building leadership dashboards. Candidates should have strong analytics, AI interpretation, and cross-functional collaboration skills to drive productivity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Data Analytics, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Analytics, or a related field.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Experience with production planning, forecasting, scheduling, operations analysis, or manufacturing analytics.
• Experience using data to support operational decision-making.
• Ability to interpret AI-generated recommendations while applying sound professional judgment.
• Experience creating dashboards and management reports (Power BI, Excel, SQL, Python, or similar tools is highly preferred).
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an integrated production schedule across multiple active projects.
• Analyze production capacity, labor availability, machine utilization, and project priorities.
• Use AI-assisted scheduling tools to improve forecasting and production planning.
• Monitor planned vs. actual production hours and identify schedule risks.
• Build dashboards, reports, and performance metrics for leadership.
• Identify bottlenecks and recommend improvements to maximize productivity.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Purchasing, Quality, and Project Management teams.
• Continuously improve forecasting accuracy and scheduling processes.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Production planning

Forecasting

Scheduling

Data analytics

Dashboards

Power BI

Excel

SQL

Python

Communication

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Statistics

Industrial Engineering

Operations Research

Data Analytics

Supply Chain

Manufacturing Analytics

Tools

Power BI

Excel

SQL

Python

Job description

An established and growing custom manufacturing and heavy industrial fabrication company is seeking a Production Planning & Scheduling Manager to lead production planning through data analytics, forecasting, and AI-assisted scheduling tools. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys solving complex operational challenges using statistics, data, and technology.

Salary: $85,000 - $100,000 (DOE)
Location: Houston, TX 77073
Schedule: Monday – Friday | 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

What You'll Do

• Develop and maintain an integrated production schedule across multiple active projects.
• Analyze production capacity, labor availability, machine utilization, and project priorities.
• Use AI-assisted scheduling tools to improve forecasting and production planning.
• Monitor planned vs. actual production hours and identify schedule risks.
• Build dashboards, reports, and performance metrics for leadership.
• Identify bottlenecks and recommend improvements to maximize productivity.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Purchasing, Quality, and Project Management teams.
• Continuously improve forecasting accuracy and scheduling processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Data Analytics, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Analytics, or a related field
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Experience with production planning, forecasting, scheduling, operations analysis, or manufacturing analytics
• Experience using data to support operational decision-making
• Ability to interpret AI-generated recommendations while applying sound professional judgment
• Experience creating dashboards and management reports (Power BI, Excel, SQL, Python, or similar tools is highly preferred)
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

Knowledge of

• Capacity analysis & workload forecasting
• Comparing planned, earned, actual, and remaining hours
• Identifying trends, bottlenecks, and schedule risks
• Measuring forecast accuracy
• Labor and machine utilization analysis
• Historical production data analysis
• Building dashboards and management reports
• Understanding AI-generated recommendations and recognizing unreliable results
• Using probability and uncertainty when estimating completion dates
• Experience with AI-assisted planning or scheduling tools
• Experience outside of steel fabrication is preferred, as we are looking for someone who can bring fresh analytical thinking and innovative approaches to production scheduling.

Benefits

• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with 3% company contribution
• 2 Weeks Accrued Vacation
• 8 Paid Holidays

If you're passionate about using AI, analytics, and data to improve manufacturing operations, we'd love to hear from you!