MASTER PLANNER

About the role

The Master Planner is responsible for developing, maintaining, and executing the master production schedule for Thompson Pump, an industrial pump manufacturing operation. This role aligns demand forecasts, production capacity, material availability, and inventory strategies to ensure on-time delivery, optimal inventory levels, and efficient plant utilization. The Master Planner serves as the central coordination point between Supply Chain, Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Customer Service to balance customer requirements with operational capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) for engineered to order (ETO), Made to Order (MTO), and/or made to stock (MTS) pump products.
• Translate demand forecasts, customer orders, and sales projections into achievable production plans.
• Level-load manufacturing to optimize labor and machine capacity.
• Lead Planning Administrative team to complete critical tasks including production paperwork and picking lists.
• Monitor schedule adherence and adjust plans to address constraints or changes in demand.
• Conduct rough-cut capacity planning (RCCP) to validate production feasibility.
• Identify bottlenecks in machining, assembly, testing, and fabrication processes.
• Partner with Operations to proactively resolve capacity constraints.
• Support capital planning decisions through capacity analysis.
• Collaborate with Procurement and Material Planners to ensure material availability.
• Monitor inventory levels of critical components such as castings, impellers, seals, motors, and fabricated assemblies.
• Balance service levels with inventory turns and working capital targets.
• Support SIOP (Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning) processes.
• Participate in S&OP/SIOP meetings to align sales forecasts with operational execution.
• Communicate schedule changes and risks to stakeholders.
• Support Engineering Change Order (ECO) implementation planning.
• Work closely with project management for large engineered pump systems.
• Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) including: On-time delivery (OTD), Schedule attainment, Inventory turns, Backlog management, Lead time adherence.
• Identify process improvements in planning, forecasting, and ERP utilization.
• Lead initiatives to improve planning accuracy and production flow.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Business, or related field preferred.
• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in business from accredited college or university preferred.
• 5+ years of production planning experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience in industrial equipment, rotating equipment, pump manufacturing, or heavy assembly strongly preferred.
• Experience with engineered-to-order and mixed-mode manufacturing environments.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., Nav2018, Business Central, Oracle, SAP, etc.).
• Strong understanding of BOM structures, routings, and lead times.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with planning analytics tools preferred.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing and capacity planning methodologies.