Marine Components Production Planner / Scheduler

Summary The Production Planner/Scheduler is a vital role in manufacturing and operations, responsible for creating and managing the flow of work to meet customer demand efficiently and cost-effectively. They act as the central coordinator between sales, engineering, procurement, and the production floor.

The Production Planner/Scheduler is the primary individual responsible for translating customer demand into a workable manufacturing schedule. Their goal is to ensure that the company produces the right products, in the right quantity, at the right time, while utilizing resources (equipment, materials, and labor) optimally.

This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and cross-functional communication to manage inventory, prevent bottlenecks, and adjust to sudden changes in orders or material availability. They balance the need to minimize inventory costs against the need to guarantee on-time customer delivery.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Planning and Scheduling
  • Develop Production Schedules: Create and maintain detailed daily/weekly work orders from internal and external customers, aligning production activities with sales forecasts and firm customer orders.
  • Capacity Planning: Analyze production capacity (machines, labor hours) against the required demand to identify and resolve potential constraints or bottlenecks.
  • Adjust Schedules: Monitor progress daily and adjust schedules as needed in response to unexpected machine breakdowns, material shortages, or changes in customer priorities.
• Technical Data Management (BOM & Routings)
  • Bill of Material (BOM) Management: Create, maintain, and audit the accuracy of Bills of Material (BOMs) in the ERP system to ensure the correct components and quantities are planned for each product.
  • Routing Management: Define and maintain the manufacturing 'Routing'—the detailed sequence of operations, work centers, and standard times required to produce a product—to accurately calculate capacity needs and lead times.
  • Master Data Integrity: Collaborate with Engineering and other teams to ensure that all planning-related master data, including BOMs and Routings, is up-to-date before issuing a new work order.
• Materials and Inventory Management
  • Material Requirements Planning (MRP): Utilize ERP/MRP systems to determine the necessary raw materials and components required for production, based on accurate BOMs.
  • Coordinate Procurement: Work closely with the purchasing team to ensure timely ordering and delivery of materials, preventing costly stockouts or production delays.
  • Inventory Control: Monitor and analyze inventory levels of raw materials and finished goods to ensure optimal stock levels, balancing the need to avoid shortages with the cost of holding excess inventory.
  • Work Order Management: Release, track, and close manufacturing work orders, ensuring all material and labor is correctly accounted for.
• Collaboration and Reporting
  • Cross-Functional Communication: Act as the key liaison between departments, particularly with Sales (to understand demand changes), Purchasing (to manage material flow), and the Production/Shop Floor (to execute the plan).
  • Status Reporting: Generate and distribute performance reports on production progress, inventory levels, schedule adherence, and potential risks to management and stakeholders.
  • Process Improvement: Identify and implement improvements in planning processes, data accuracy, and scheduling methodologies to enhance overall production efficiency. Other duties may be assigned.

Education and/or Experience                                                  

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred
• 2 to 5+ years of experience in BOM and routing management
• 2 to 5+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, inventory control, materials planning, or supply chain management within a manufacturing environment.
• Professional certifications like CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) or CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) are preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis, reporting, and forecasting.
• Strong understanding of production processes, raw materials, capacity planning, and workflow optimization within a manufacturing setting.

Language Skills                                                              

Excellent written and verbal communication skills to coordinate with multiple departments (e.g., Sales, Operations, Procurement, Warehouse) and external suppliers/customers.

Mathematical Skills                                                     

Will use mathematics to solve problems, up to the algebraic level.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job (ie; heat/cold, dust/dampness, height; chemical; noise) PPE requirements are included. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Safety glasses required while in production areas

Other PPE may be required based on specific projects.

Typical 10 hour work days.

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Teamwork:  Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.

Motivation:  Measures self against standard of excellence.

Quality:  Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.

Attendance/Punctuality:  Is consistently at work and on time.

Dependability:  Takes responsibility for own actions.