Production Planner

Position Summary

The Production Planner is responsible for detailed production scheduling, planning, and coordination of manufacturing activities to ensure on-time delivery, efficient use of resources, and compliance with customer and quality requirements. In a make-to-print aerospace environment, this role is heavily focused on creating, maintaining, and actively managing daily and weekly production schedules across all work centers.

This is a hands-on role well-suited for someone who is comfortable working closely with the shop floor, quality, purchasing, and management in a small-company setting, with primary accountability for schedule integrity and execution.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Scheduling (Primary Focus)

• Develop, maintain, and actively manage detailed daily and weekly production schedules by work center
• Sequence and prioritize jobs to meet customer delivery commitments while optimizing machine and labor utilization
• Release, adjust, and re-prioritize work orders in response to changing customer demands, material availability, or capacity constraints
• Own the master production schedule and ensure alignment between customer due dates and shop-floor execution

Capacity & Load Management

• Analyze capacity and load across forming, secondary operations, and inspection work centers
• Identify schedule conflicts, bottlenecks, and overload conditions before they impact delivery
• Recommend schedule adjustments, overtime, subcontracting, or resequencing to maintain on-time performance
• Provide realistic, schedule-driven input into quoted and promised lead times
• Support realistic lead-time commitments by providing data-driven input to Sales and Contracts

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work closely with Purchasing to ensure timely availability of raw material, tooling, and outside processing
• Coordinate with Quality to ensure inspection and certification requirements are planned into schedules
• Communicate priorities clearly to Production Supervisors and Operators
• Collaborate with Engineering on routing accuracy and planning standards

Schedule Execution & Recovery

• Track schedule adherence daily and monitor work-in-process (WIP) against the plan
• Proactively expedite and re-sequence jobs to recover from delays or disruptions
• Communicate schedule changes and priorities clearly to supervisors and operators
• Coordinate with Quality, Shipping, and Documentation to ensure schedule-driven shipment readiness

Systems & Documentation

• Maintain accurate routings, lead times, and planning parameters in the ERP/MRP system
• Ensure travelers, routers, and work orders reflect current revisions and contract requirements
• Generate and maintain planning reports related to schedule adherence, WIP, and delivery performance

Qualifications

Required

• Associate or Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 3+ years of experience in production planning or scheduling within a manufacturing environment
• Experience working in a make-to-print environment
• Strong understanding of manufacturing workflows and shop-floor operations
• High attention to detail with strong organizational skills
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel

Preferred

• Aerospace manufacturing experience
• Familiarity with AS9100 requirements
• Experience with metal forming, fabrication, or machining operations
• Experience in a small or mid-sized manufacturing environment

Skills & Competencies

• Production scheduling and prioritization
• Capacity and load analysis
• Clear and effective communication across departments
• Problem-solving in a fast-paced, changing environment
• Ability to balance competing priorities and deadlines

Work Environment

• Office-based with frequent presence on the shop floor
• Regular interaction with production, quality, and purchasing teams

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75, $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person