Senior Production Planner

NIDEC Defense Group; Mankato (MN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

NIDEC Defense Group is seeking a Senior Production Planner in Mankato, MN to translate demand into executable production plans. This role emphasizes cross-functional collaboration across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Procurement to optimize schedules and material flow.

The candidate should have 2–5 years in planning, proficiency with ERP/MRP systems, and strong analytical skills. Bachelor’s degree preferred; on-site work with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities for complex planning scenarios.
• Experience with ERP, MRP, and production planning systems.
• Ability to interpret data, identify trends, and support decisions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain production plans balancing demand, inventory, and capacity.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Customer Service teams.
• Monitor schedules, material availability, and capacity constraints.
• Drive schedule adherence and participate in process improvements.
• Utilize planning and ERP systems to manage requirements and data accuracy.

Skills

Analytical skills

ERP/MRP proficiency

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Spreadsheet proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Oracle

Job description

We begin with dreams. Dreams drive our motivation. Dreams are our future. The world's dreams, people's dreams, our dreams. Our passion creates ideas that make dreams come alive. Technology and products that were only dreams become reality.

All for dreams. Dreams challenge and the Nidec-Group will continue to meet the challenge. For the world's and people's tomorrows; the world's first, the world's best technologies and products; we will continue our part in creating a better society.

Job Summary

Nidec is the world's No. 1 comprehensive motor manufacturer handling "everything that spins and moves", miniature to gigantic. Nidec is a global enterprise comprised of over 300 subsidiaries/affiliates. We are a leading manufacturer of commercial motors, industrial motors, appliance motors, and controls. Our product line features a full line of high efficiency motors for industrial applications in water treatment, mining, oil and gas, and power generation, and for commercial applications such as pool and spa, condensers, cooling towers and large refrigeration units.

From keeping us comfortable in our homes to pumping clean water to making our cars more safe, electric motors are an indispensable part of our daily lives. At Nidec, our employees are on the forefront of developing new motor technologies. As we move deeper into the age of robotics, the impact of motors will only increase.

With over 140,000 employees stationed worldwide, Nidec continues to be a unique organization, and each location maintains its individual personality.

Whether driving locomotives, powering offshore platforms or keeping the lights on after a storm, Nidec electric power generation products impact the world on a daily basis. With over 1,000 employees in the Americas, we are moving forward with technology to solve our customers' electrical power needs for both prime and backup generation needs as the industry's leading manufacturer.

Job Description

Shift: 1st Shift

Days of Work: Monday - Friday

Work Hours: 8:00am to 5:00pm

Work Location: On-Site (Mankato, MN)

Starting Salary: $54,800 - $76,700

Pay Frequency: Bi-Weekly

At Nidec, we prioritize our team's well-being and success. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you both personally and professionally. These are the great benefits we offer, with additional perks and programs available to enhance your overall experience with us.

• Competitive Compensation: Attractive salary with additional bonus opportunities.
• Health and Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, effective from your first day.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a best in-class company match of 100% on the employee's first 6% with an additional 3% employer contribution to support your financial future.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous time off package, including PTO and holidays.
• Education Assistance: Tuition reimbursement and continuous learning opportunities to support your professional growth.

Position Objective

Senior Production Planner is an advanced-level planning professional responsible for executing complex production planning activities and supporting alignment across demand, supply, inventory, and manufacturing schedules. This role leverages extensive knowledge of production planning systems, material flow, and manufacturing processes to ensure work order readiness, optimize resource utilization, and minimize disruptions to production operations. The Senior Production Planner collaborates cross-functionally to balance customer demand, production capacity, and material availability while driving schedule adherence, inventory optimization, and operational efficiency.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain production plans that balance customer demand, inventory targets, capacity constraints, and material availability.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Customer Service teams to ensure alignment of production priorities.
• Analyze demand and supply changes, evaluate impacts to production schedules, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Monitor work order availability, material shortages, and capacity constraints to proactively prevent production interruptions.
• Drive schedule adherence and support continuous improvements in planning processes, inventory management, and operational efficiency.
• Utilize planning and ERP systems to manage production requirements, maintain data accuracy, and support decision-making.
• Investigate and resolve complex planning issues while providing recommendations to improve workflow and business performance.
• Support inventory optimization initiatives through effective management of production schedules and material requirements.
• Serve as a subject matter resource for production planning processes, systems, and best practices.
• Maintain planning metrics and scorecards.
• Monitor on-time delivery, schedule attainment, work order completion, shortage performance, and inventory health.
• Support strategic initiatives focused on operational excellence and manufacturing efficiency.

Experience/Skills

• 2-5 years of experience in the planning field and knowledge of the principles and practices of planning.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products.
• 2+ years of Oracle experience preferred.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Proficiency with ERP, MRP, and production planning systems.
• Ability to interpret data, identify trends, and make informed planning decisions.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills across cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex planning scenarios with minimal supervision.
• Able to export/download data from ERP system and manipulate it in spreadsheet fashion utilizing Filtering, X-Lookup, Pivot Tables, etc.
• Excellent critical thinking skills and methodologies.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree (preferred)

MUST BE A SOLE US CITIZEN

Additional Job Details

Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff...

Nidec is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and ... All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information regarding your (EEO) rights as an applicant, please visit the following website: http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf

Work Shift Schedule

First Shift (United States of America)

No Soliciting

Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Nidec Talent Acquisition team.