Sr NPI Manufacturing Planner

FormFactor, Inc.; Farmers Branch (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

FormFactor, Inc. in the United States is seeking a Sr NPI Manufacturing Planner to bridge design and production for complex new products, including probe card manufacturing. You will work across Engineering, Fab, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure accurate, on-time launches and realistic cycle times.

The role emphasizes deep understanding of PCB technologies, MLOs, Spring fabrication, and test requirements, with a focus on data-driven planning and process optimization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of related experience in manufacturing planning, supply chain, or NPI.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing process flows and capacity planning.
• Experience planning products with high variability and limited data.
• Proficient with Excel, ERP/MRP systems, and data analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Own planning and scheduling of new product introductions from design to production.
• Assess manufacturing complexity and develop realistic schedules before data exists.
• Develop planning assumptions based on PCB, MLO, Spring, build sequence, and qualifications.
• Create cycle-time models for new product families and anticipate risks.
• Collaborate with Product Engineering, Fab, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure readiness.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Capacity planning

ERP/MRP

NPI experience

PCB technologies knowledge

Influence leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Excel

ERP software

Data analysis tools

Job description

Forming Our Future together

FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product life cycle - from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor's products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Rooted in our core values - Focus on the Customer, Ownership & Accountability, Respectfully & Effectively Communicate, and Motivate & Develop People - we foster an environment where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but celebrated. Everyone can make an impact here. Whether it's improving products, supporting customers, or positively influencing peers and the community, the contributions of our people matter.

Shift

The regular hours for this position are day shift.

Job Description

The Sr NPI Manufacturing Planner is responsible for planning and scheduling complex new products as they transition from design into manufacturing. This individual develops realistic production plans for products with little or no historical manufacturing data by evaluating product design complexity, manufacturing process requirements, material readiness, capacity constraints, and execution risks.

The role serves as the primary planning interface between Product Engineering, Fab Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain, and Production teams to ensure new products are planned accurately the first time and achieve predictable cycle times, delivery commitments, and factory performance.

This position requires a deep understanding of probe card manufacturing, including PCB technologies, MLOs, spring technologies, assembly processes, test requirements, qualifications, and release activities.

Key Responsibilities

New Product Planning

• Own planning and scheduling of new product introductions from design release through production launch.
• Assess manufacturing complexity of new designs and develop realistic schedules before historical data exists.
• Create planning assumptions based on PCB complexity, MLO complexity, Spring design complexity, Build sequence requirements, Qualification requirements, Engineering readiness, Material lead times, and Factory capacity constraints.
• Develop expected cycle time models for new product families.
• Identify schedule risks early and drive mitigation plans.

Manufacturing Flow Expertise

• Become an expert in end-to-end probe card manufacturing flows.
• Understand critical path operations across Fab, PCB Sourcing, MLO sourcing, Spring fabrication, Assembly & Test, Qualification, and Shipment.
• Translate product design attributes into manufacturing execution requirements.
• Maintain planning standards for major product families and technology platforms.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner closely with Product engineering, Process engineering, Fab manufacturing, Supply chain, Production Supervisors, and Program Managers.
• Participate in product readiness and productization reviews.
• Ensure planning assumptions reflect actual factory capability and constraints.
• Drive issue resolution when readiness gaps impact schedule commitments.

Advanced Planning & Analytics

• Develop data-driven models to improve planning accuracy for new products.
• Analyze Historical cycle times, Touch labor, Yield performance, Product complexity factors, and Bottleneck behavior.
• Build complexity-based planning methodologies that improve forecast accuracy.
• Continuously improve planning parameters used within ERP/MRP systems.

Factory Integration

• Work directly with Fab Manufacturing to understand Capacity limitations, Equipment constraints, Queue behavior, and Process variability.
• Reconcile factory reality with system-generated schedules.
• Support SIOP and capacity planning activities for new technology ramps.

Preferred Qualifications & Experiences

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, or related field.
• Experience in manufacturing planning, supply chain, operations, industrial engineering, or NPI.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing process flows and capacity planning.
• Experience planning products with high variability and limited historical data.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with Excel, ERP/MRP systems, and data analysis tools.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Experience in semiconductor or probe card manufacturing.
• Knowledge of PCB technologies, MLO manufacturing, MEMS and probe technologies, Spring fabrication processes, and Productization and NPI processes.
• Exposure to Factory Physics concepts and bottleneck analysis.
• Experience building planning models and cycle-time prediction methodologies.

Success Measures

• New-product schedule accuracy.
• First-pass planning accuracy versus actual cycle time.
• Reduction in launch schedule misses.
• Improved on-time delivery for complex NPI products.
• Improved capacity visibility and constraint identification.
• Increased confidence in customer commit dates for first-time builds.

Skills

Analytical Thinking, Business Operations, Capacity Planning, Communication, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing, Microsoft Excel, MRP Systems, New Product Introduction (NPI), Supply Chain.

Education & Experience

Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 3 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work| Required.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

FormFactor is an equal opportunity employer. FormFactor complies with all national, state, and local laws that seek to promote equal opportunities for any applicant or employee without regard to age, race, color, gender, gender identity/expression, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, military service, or any other legally protected characteristics. These protections apply to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, and compensation.

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