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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Plant Planner

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

Supply ChainManufacturingOperationsPlanning

🎯 Role Definition

The Plant Planner serves as the central hub for coordinating and synchronizing all production-related activities within a manufacturing facility. This role is fundamentally responsible for translating demand signals—such as customer orders and sales forecasts—into a tangible and achievable production plan. The planner ensures an optimal balance between customer service levels, inventory investment, and operational efficiency. By meticulously managing production schedules, material availability, and capacity utilization, the Plant Planner is the key driver in ensuring the plant meets its output targets on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. They are a critical liaison between sales, procurement, logistics, and the shop floor.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Production Scheduler
  • Material Coordinator / Materials Analyst
  • Junior Supply Chain Analyst
  • Recent Graduate (Supply Chain, Operations Management)

Advancement To:

  • Senior Plant Planner / Master Scheduler
  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Plant Operations Manager
  • Demand Planning Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Procurement Specialist / Buyer
  • Logistics Planner
  • Inventory Control Manager
  • Continuous Improvement Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, maintain, and communicate a detailed master production schedule (MPS) that aligns with demand forecasts, inventory targets, and available plant capacity.
  • Analyze and interpret Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system outputs to generate and manage production orders and work orders effectively.
  • Proactively monitor production attainment against the established schedule, identifying deviations and collaborating with production supervisors to implement corrective actions.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for the shop floor regarding scheduling priorities, sequence of operations, and any changes to the production plan.
  • Evaluate and manage available production capacity, including labor and machine hours, to identify potential bottlenecks and constraints in the short and long term.
  • Coordinate closely with the procurement team to ensure timely availability of raw materials, components, and packaging, mitigating any risk of production downtime.
  • Maintain optimal inventory levels of raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods to support production while minimizing carrying costs and obsolescence risk.
  • Facilitate regular production planning meetings with cross-functional teams (including Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Logistics) to ensure alignment and resolve operational issues.
  • Analyze sales orders and forecasts to determine their impact on capacity and material availability, providing feedback to the commercial team on achievable delivery dates.
  • Manage and maintain all planning-related master data within the ERP system, including lead times, safety stock levels, lot sizes, and bills of materials (BOMs).
  • Generate and distribute key performance indicator (KPI) reports related to schedule adherence, on-time delivery, inventory turns, and capacity utilization.
  • Champion continuous improvement initiatives within the planning and scheduling processes, seeking opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve accuracy.
  • Manage the planning and scheduling for new product introductions (NPIs) and product phase-outs, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal obsolete inventory.
  • Revise production schedules as necessary in response to unforeseen events such as equipment breakdowns, material shortages, or urgent customer requests.
  • Collaborate with the logistics and warehouse teams to coordinate the flow of finished goods, ensuring alignment between production output and shipping schedules.
  • Perform "what-if" scenario analysis to assess the impact of different demand patterns or production constraints on the overall plan.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for the planning module of the company's ERP system, assisting with training and troubleshooting.
  • Monitor slow-moving and obsolete (SLOB) inventory, working with sales and operations to develop and execute disposition plans.
  • Ensure that all planning activities are compliant with company policies, quality standards, and any relevant regulatory requirements.
  • Drive root cause analysis for any service failures or significant schedule misses, implementing robust preventative measures for the future.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to support operational decision-making.
  • Contribute to the organization's supply chain strategy and participate in long-range planning initiatives.
  • Collaborate with engineering and quality teams to manage material changes or process updates within the production plan.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies if the supply chain team operates within an agile framework.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • ERP/MRP Systems Proficiency: Deep, hands-on experience with enterprise resource planning systems such as SAP (PP/MM modules), Oracle, JDE, or similar platforms.
  • Advanced Excel Skills: Mastery of Microsoft Excel for data analysis, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH, conditional formatting, and basic modeling.
  • Supply Chain Principles: Strong theoretical and practical understanding of supply chain concepts, including MPS, MRP, capacity planning, and inventory management.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to extract, analyze, and interpret large datasets to generate actionable insights and performance reports.
  • APICS Certification: APICS certification (CPIM, CSCP) is highly regarded and often preferred, demonstrating a formal understanding of production and inventory management.
  • Lean/Six Sigma Knowledge: Familiarity with continuous improvement methodologies like Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Kaizen.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical & Problem-Solving: A sharp, analytical mindset with the ability to diagnose complex problems, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal skills to effectively communicate, influence, and work with colleagues across all levels and departments.
  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous and detail-oriented approach to ensure accuracy in schedules, data entry, and inventory calculations.
  • Adaptability & Resilience: The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic manufacturing environment and manage shifting priorities and unexpected challenges.
  • Effective Communication: Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills to convey complex information to diverse audiences.
  • Sense of Urgency: A proactive and results-driven attitude, with the ability to prioritize tasks and make timely decisions to keep production on track.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s Degree in a relevant field or an MBA.
  • Professional certification such as APICS CPIM or CSCP.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Operations Management
  • Business Administration
  • Industrial Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3-7 years of direct experience in a production planning, master scheduling, or materials planning role within a manufacturing environment.

Preferred:

  • Experience in the specific industry sector (e.g., consumer packaged goods, automotive, pharmaceuticals, electronics) is a significant asset. Proven experience driving process improvements and working in a high-volume production setting is highly valued.
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