Strategic Production Planner: Optimize Schedules & OTD

Fairbanks Morse Defense; Thomaston (CT); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Clear Destination Inc. is seeking a seasoned Planner to manage planning, scheduling, and order management across customer orders and external vendor services.

The role ensures on-time delivery, maintains accurate data in the ERP/MRP system, and optimizes capacity across internal and external resources. The ideal candidate has 5+ years in planning within manufacturing, experience with ISO 9001 environments, and proficiency in Infor VISUAL or similar systems.

Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED, or trade school certificate.
• Minimum of 5 years of planning experience in an ERP/MRP manufacturing environment.
• Experience in an ISO 9001:2008/2015 environment.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems; Infor VISUAL or equivalent preferred.
• Ability to interpret Sales Orders, Work Orders, BOMs, and related manufacturing documents.
• Strong attention to detail and data integrity.

Responsibilities

• Plan and schedule all customer and inventory orders, including outside services (plating, heat treating, and other vendor processes).
• Maintain Customer On-Time Delivery by monitoring order status and capacity.
• Review backlog/open orders/WIP daily to ensure schedule integrity.
• Coordinate with Production, Quality, and Customer Service to meet delivery objectives.
• Ensure accurate ship dates on Sales Orders and release Work Orders as required.

Skills

Planning in ERP/MRP

Infor VISUAL experience

Capacity planning

Data integrity

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

High School Diploma

Associate's degree (technical, business, or related field)

Tools

Infor VISUAL

Excel

Job description

Position Overview:
The Planner is responsible for planning and scheduling all customer and inventory orders, including external vendor services such as plating and heat treating. This role ensures customer on-time delivery (OTD), maintains accurate system data, and optimizes resource capacity across internal manufacturing departments and external suppliers. The Planner works closely with Operations, Production, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, and Customer Service to meet service, quality, and delivery objectives in alignment with Ward Leonard’s business goals.

In this function, you will:

Planning, Scheduling, and Order Management

• Plan and schedule all customer and inventory orders, including outside services (plating, heat treating, and other vendor processes).
• Maintain Customer On-Time Delivery by proactively monitoring order status and capacity.
• Maintain and update all ship dates on Sales Orders to reflect current delivery commitments.
• Review the Backlog Report, Open Orders, and Work-In-Process (WIP) status daily to ensure schedule integrity.
• Review Shipping Reports to confirm on-time shipments and identify risks to delivery commitments.
• Identify pull-in opportunities by reviewing Backlog Reports and, when permitted by the Sales Order and capacity, update VISUAL to ship early.
• Check manufacturing capacity and, when feasible, reschedule orders in VISUAL for earlier completion and shipment.
• Firm and release Work Orders (WO) in accordance with required release and want dates to ensure correct finish dates.
• Create Work Orders in VISUAL MRP for all fabricated in-house parts, ensuring delivery dates meet Customer Sales Order requirements.
• Plan and route RMA (Return Material Authorization) work, including creating WO’s for repairs and assigning internal repair work to the appropriate resources.

Capacity and Resource Management

• Perform yearly, monthly, and ongoing capacity planning and drive capacity improvement initiatives.
• Manage resource capacity by moving jobs to available resources, ensuring level loading and preventing bottlenecks.
• Maintain spreadsheets and reports for Business Unit Director (BUD) and Sales to review WIP status and capacity.
• Work closely with Production departments to track progress of Work Orders from release through shipment.

Supplier and Outside Services Coordination

• Issue Requests for Quotation (RFQs) to vendors to obtain the best price, lead time, and terms for materials and services.
• Issue Purchase Orders (POs) for materials and services required to support Work Orders, ensuring Supplier On-Time Delivery for all PO’s placed.
• Schedule and coordinate outside services to meet internal production and customer delivery requirements.
• Review Open Purchase Order Reports and MRB reports to identify outstanding parts and required actions.
• Monitor vendor performance and follow up on overdue items to minimize impact to production and customer delivery.

Data Accuracy and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure Item Master data (including lead-times, cost, and related planning parameters) is accurate, complete, and up to date.
• Participate in pre-production meetings and review Bills of Material (BOMs) to support proper planning and scheduling of production Work Orders.
• Support continuous improvement in planning, scheduling, and data integrity to enhance OTD, lead-time, and inventory performance.

Communication and Collaboration

• Report OTD delays and schedule risks to Customer Service (for OEM and RMA) and other stakeholders as needed.
• Collaborate with Quality and Manufacturing Engineering to resolve planning-related issues that affect schedule adherence.
• Provide clear and timely communication to Operations, Sales, and other internal customers regarding order status and schedule changes.

Basic (Required) Qualifications:

• U.S. Citizenship required due to government contracts.
• High school diploma, GED, or trade school certificate.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in planning within an ERP/MRP-managed manufacturing environment.
• Experience working in an ISO-certified environment (ISO 9001:2008 or ISO 9001:2015).
• Working knowledge of an ERP/MRP system; experience with Infor VISUAL or equivalent strongly preferred.
• Ability to interpret Sales Orders, Work Orders, BOMs, and related manufacturing documents.
• Strong attention to detail with proven ability to maintain accurate planning and item master data.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree in a technical, business, or related field.
• Experience in a job-shop or engineer-to-order manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity planning and load leveling across multiple work centers.
• Prior experience coordinating outside services and vendor-managed processes.

Position Criteria:

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and standard office software (e.g., Excel, Outlook, Word).
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to collaborate across functions and levels.
• Proven ability to work independently while maintaining alignment with Operations and business objectives.
• Commitment to data integrity, schedule adherence, and continuous improvement.

Work Environment:

• Work is primarily performed in an office setting with regular interaction with the manufacturing floor.
• May require periodic visits to production areas and warehouses to review WIP, material status, and workflow.
• Must comply with all site safety practices and requirements whenever in manufacturing or warehouse areas.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit at a desk for extended periods performing standard office work, including computer and phone use.
• Ability to stand and walk in office and manufacturing environments as needed.
• Must wear and comply with all required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when in production areas, including but not limited to eye protection and safety shoes.
• Must follow all applicable safety rules and procedures as defined in Company policies and posted instructions.