Strategic Production Planner — Scheduling & Inventory

Destaco; Elon (NC); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

OPW is seeking a Production Planner in Elon, NC to align customer demand with manufacturing capacity and ensure on-time delivery. You will develop weekly and daily production plans, monitor performance, and collaborate with Sales, Production, Purchasing, Engineering and Customer Service.

Ideal candidates have a bachelor’s in a related field, 5+ years in production planning, strong MRP/ERP knowledge, advanced Excel, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, inventory planning, or supply chain planning within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems, production planning principles, inventory control, and capacity planning.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills with the ability to analyze data and make informed planning decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret demand signals, evaluate capacity constraints, and develop effective production schedules.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple functional areas.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and execute production schedules that balance customer demand, inventory levels, production capacity, and available materials.
• Create detailed weekly and daily production plans for assigned manufacturing value streams.
• Monitor schedule attainment and production performance, identifying risks and implementing recovery plans to maintain customer delivery commitments.
• Prioritize and sequence manufacturing orders to optimize production flow and maximize on-time delivery.
• Verify material availability to support production schedules and proactively identify potential shortages or constraints.
• Collaborate with Purchasing, Production, Engineering, Customer Service, and Operations to resolve material, capacity, and scheduling issues.
• Manage MRP planning messages and ensure production priorities accurately reflect current business requirements.
• Establish and maintain appropriate inventory levels, including safety stock and work-in-process inventory, to support service level objectives while minimizing excess inventory.
• Analyze forecast changes, demand variability, production capacity, and inventory trends to recommend schedule adjustments.
• Support new product introductions, engineering changes, and product phase-in/phase-out activities through effective production planning.
• Monitor inventory accuracy and work order integrity to support effective production execution.
• Analyze production and planning performance metrics and recommend process improvements to increase efficiency, schedule adherence, and inventory performance.
• Lead or participate in continuous improvement initiatives related to production planning, inventory management, and supply chain processes.
• Serve as the primary planning representative on cross-functional Value Stream Teams.

Skills

MRP/ERP knowledge

Advanced Excel

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Infor MAPICS

Job description

OPW is seeking a Production Planner in Elon, NC to align customer demand with manufacturing capacity and ensure on-time delivery. You will develop weekly and daily production plans, monitor performance, and collaborate with Sales, Production, Purchasing, Engineering and Customer Service.

Ideal candidates have a bachelor’s in a related field, 5+ years in production planning, strong MRP/ERP knowledge, advanced Excel, and a continuous improvement mindset.