Senior Master Production Planner & Capacity Strategist

ADP, Inc.; Milford (CT); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

ADP, Inc. in Milford, CT, is seeking a Master Planner to manage and optimize the production plan. You will lead the Planning and Production Control team, align schedules with demand, and coordinate across Sales, Operations, Purchasing, Engineering, Quality, Warehouse, and Supply Chain.

The role requires 5+ years in production planning and a strong grasp of MRP/ERP systems and capacity planning. Expect a hands-on leader who drives continuous improvement and on-time delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in production planning, master scheduling, production control, or supply chain.
• Experience leading or supervising planners, schedulers, or production control personnel.
• Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems and production planning processes.
• Experience developing and managing a Master Production Schedule.
• Strong knowledge of capacity planning, inventory management, material requirements planning, and production scheduling.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) based on customer demand, forecasts, inventory levels, capacity, and business priorities.
• Translate customer requirements and demand forecasts into achievable production plans.
• Balance production capacity, labor availability, equipment constraints, material availability, and customer due dates.
• Establish production priorities and sequencing to maximize throughput and minimize delays, overtime, and unnecessary changeovers.
• Monitor the production plan and make adjustments based on changing customer requirements, material shortages, equipment downtime, and capacity constraints.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while supporting on-time delivery and minimizing excess and obsolete inventory.
• Lead, coach, and develop Production Planners and Production Control Associates.
• Establish clear goals, priorities, responsibilities, and performance expectations for the planning team.
• Review workload and priorities across the department and allocate resources accordingly.
• Develop standardized planning processes, procedures, and work instructions.
• Provide training and mentorship in MRP/ERP systems, scheduling techniques, capacity planning, and production control.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision making.
• Monitor daily production performance against the master schedule and production plan.
• Identify schedule risks and proactively communicate potential impacts to management and cross-functional teams.
• Lead recovery plans for missed schedules, material shortages, capacity issues, and other disruptions.
• Coordinate with Production Supervisors to ensure schedules are realistic and executable.
• Track work orders, production status, shortages, and past-due requirements.
• Ensure production orders are properly prioritized, released, and maintained in the ERP/MRP system.
• Partner with Purchasing and Materials Management to ensure timely availability of raw materials, components, and outside services.
• Identify material constraints that may impact production schedules and customer commitments.
• Review inventory levels, safety stocks, lead times, and replenishment requirements.
• Support efforts to reduce excess inventory, shortages, expedites, and inventory discrepancies.
• Escalate critical supply issues and develop alternative plans when necessary.
• Conduct short-, medium-, and long-term capacity analysis.
• Identify bottlenecks, resource constraints, and future capacity requirements.
• Work with Operations Management to evaluate overtime, additional shifts, outsourcing, equipment utilization, and staffing requirements.
• Support capital planning and operational decisions with capacity and demand data.
• Collaborate closely with Sales/Customer Service to understand customer priorities and delivery requirements.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Warehouse, and Supply Chain to resolve planning and execution issues.
• Participate in S&OP/IBP and other demand-and-capacity planning meetings.
• Communicate changes to production priorities and customer requirements clearly and promptly.
• Provide management with accurate information regarding capacity, schedule attainment, risks, and delivery performance.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Industrial Engineering, or related field

APICS/ASCM CPIM or CSCP certification

Tools

Infor Syteline

Microsoft Excel

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

ADP, Inc. in Milford, CT, is seeking a Master Planner to manage and optimize the production plan. You will lead the Planning and Production Control team, align schedules with demand, and coordinate across Sales, Operations, Purchasing, Engineering, Quality, Warehouse, and Supply Chain.

The role requires 5+ years in production planning and a strong grasp of MRP/ERP systems and capacity planning. Expect a hands-on leader who drives continuous improvement and on-time delivery.