Description:
We're looking for a Production Planning & Materials Manager to own the master schedule and materials flow across our manufacturing operations. This role is responsible for translating customer demand and sales forecasts into a realistic, achievable production plan — and then making sure the materials, capacity, and priorities are in place to hit it.
You'll work daily with production leaders to balance machine and labor capacity against the schedule, resolve bottlenecks before they cause late shipments, and lead a small team responsible for scheduling and materials. This role relies heavily on data — pulling and interpreting production, demand, and capacity data to make sound scheduling decisions and build reporting that keeps leadership informed. You'll also own the accuracy and discipline of jobs and work orders in our ERP system, keeping forecasts, schedules, and shop-floor data aligned with reality. Purchasing and supplier management are part of the role, but the core of the job is planning: keeping the shop running on a schedule that's realistic, well-communicated, and actually gets hit.
Production Scheduling & Material Planning
- Build and maintain the master production schedule across all work centers, balancing customer due dates against real shop capacity
- Monitor machine and labor capacity, identifying bottlenecks and overload situations before they impact delivery
- Adjust priorities in response to schedule changes, rush orders, and shifting customer demand
- Lead daily/weekly production planning meetings with department leads to align on priorities and constraints
Forecasting & Demand Planning
- Monitor sales forecasts and customer demand signals, translating them into production plans and material requirements
- Track forecast accuracy over time and adjust planning assumptions as demand patterns shift
- Identify capacity gaps or overload risk driven by forecasted demand, and flag them to leadership well ahead of impact
- Partner with sales and account management to understand upcoming demand changes and incorporate them into the plan
Job Creation & Work Order Controls
- Own the creation, release, and maintenance of jobs and work orders in the ERP system, ensuring they're accurate and properly sequenced
- Maintain strong controls over job status, routings, and due dates so the schedule reflects what's actually happening on the shop floor
- Audit open jobs regularly to catch data errors, stale information, or orders that no longer reflect current priorities
Materials & Inventory Management
- Ensure materials are available to support the production schedule, coordinating with purchasing to prevent shortages
- Own inventory accuracy and lead cycle counts and physical inventory processes
- Set and manage safety stock, reorder points, and lead times to support on-time production without excess inventory
- Track and resolve material shortages, expediting where needed to protect the schedule
Purchasing & Supplier Coordination
- Oversee purchasing activity needed to support the production plan, including PO management and supplier expediting
- Partner with suppliers on lead times, delivery performance, and responsiveness to schedule changes
Data Analysis & Reporting
- Build and maintain reporting that tracks schedule adherence, capacity utilization, and material availability, using data pulled directly from the ERP system
- Analyze production and demand data to identify trends, forecast capacity needs, and flag risk before it impacts the schedule
- Develop and maintain planning models and dashboards in Excel (or similar tools) to support scenario planning and day-to-day decision-making
- Turn raw operational data into clear, actionable recommendations for the Director of Operations and other stakeholders
Leadership & Reporting
- Lead and develop a team of planners, schedulers, and purchasing support staff
- Report on schedule performance, capacity constraints, and material risk to the Director of Operations on a regular cadence
- Partner cross-functionally with production, quality, sales, and finance to keep the plan realistic and well-communicated
Requirements:
Required
- 5+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, or materials management, including at least 3 years in a leadership role
- Experience planning production in a machining, fabrication, welding, or metals-manufacturing environment
- Hands-on experience with an ERP/MRP system for scheduling, materials planning, and job/work order management (Epicor a plus)
- Experience monitoring demand forecasts and translating them into production and material plans
- Strong data analysis skills, including advanced Excel (pivot tables, formulas, data modeling) and the ability to translate data into clear operational decisions
- Strong ability to balance competing priorities — customer due dates, capacity constraints, and material availability — in a fast-changing environment
- Proven ability to lead a team and work cross-functionally with production, quality, and sales
Nice to Have
- A production/inventory management certification (APICS/ASCM CPIM or similar)
- Experience building dashboards or reports in Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools
- Purchasing or supplier negotiation experience
- Background working with aerospace or automotive customers
- Experience in a company that runs on a structured operating framework (e.g., EOS)
- A production schedule that's realistic, well-communicated, and consistently met
- Minimal material-driven downtime or late shipments
- Clear visibility into capacity constraints well before they become a problem
- A well-run planning and materials team with strong cross-functional relationships
