Position Summary
The Purchaser / Production Planner is responsible for procuring production materials while coordinating daily manufacturing schedules to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure on-time delivery.
This position works closely with Customer Service, Estimating, Project Management, Shipping, Production Managers, and Vendors to keep manufacturing running smoothly.
Primary Responsibilities
Purchasing
- Purchase paper, envelopes, inks, packaging materials, and production supplies
- Source competitive pricing while maintaining quality standards
- Develop and maintain strong vendor relationships
- Monitor inventory levels and reorder materials as needed
- Negotiate pricing, freight, and delivery schedules
- Review vendor invoices and resolve discrepancies
- Track supplier performance including quality and on-time delivery
- Identify cost-saving opportunities through strategic purchasing
Production Planning
- Develop and maintain daily production schedules
- Coordinate workflow between departments including:
- Prepress
- Digital Printing
- Offset Printing
- Flexographic Printing
- Bindery
- Mailing
- Shipping
- Balance workloads to maximize equipment utilization
- Prioritize jobs based on customer due dates
- Monitor production capacity and adjust schedules as priorities change
- Communicate schedule changes with customer service and project managers
- Assist in reducing production bottlenecks
Inventory Management
- Maintain accurate inventory records
- Conduct cycle counts
- Monitor stock levels
- Prevent material shortages and excess inventory
- Coordinate receipt of incoming materials
Continuous Improvement
- Analyze purchasing trends
- Improve inventory turnover
- Reduce material waste
- Improve scheduling efficiency
- Assist with Lean Manufacturing initiatives
- Recommend process improvements
Qualifications
Required
- 3+ years of purchasing, production planning, scheduling, or manufacturing experience
- Strong organizational and multitasking skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Ability to work in a deadline-driven manufacturing environment
Preferred
- Commercial printing or packaging industry experience
- Experience purchasing paper and print manufacturing materials
- ERP or MIS experience (PrintSmith experience is a plus)
- Inventory management experience
- Lean Manufacturing knowledge
Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will be:
- Highly organized
- Detail-oriented
- Self-motivated
- Deadline driven
- Calm under pressure
- A strong communicator
- Team-oriented
- Customer focused
- Passionate about continuous improvement
What We Offer
- Competitive salary
- Paid vacation and holidays
- Health benefits
- Retirement savings opportunities
- Professional development
- Stable, growing company
- Collaborative team environment
- Opportunity to make a measurable impact on company performance
Why Join Panther Graphics?
At Panther Graphics, you'll play a critical role in ensuring our manufacturing operation runs efficiently while helping deliver exceptional products to our customers. We value teamwork, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement, and we empower our employees to make meaningful contributions every day.
Pay: $49,201.26 - $59,253.13 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
