Production and Inventory Planner

At High Steel Service Center, we don’t just move metal—we move industries forward. As a leading Mid-Atlantic processor and distributor of carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, we deliver precision-cut products, just-in-time solutions, and unmatched customer service from our 200,000-square-foot facility. Our team drives the quality and reliability our customers count on, building on trust, craftsmanship, and a shared commitment to getting it right the first time.

About the role

The Production and Inventory Planner is responsible for planning the production and inventory requirements needed to maximize production efficiency, minimize inventory investment, and meet customer service expectations. This role plans, schedules, releases, and tracks the flow of material requirements from Purchasing and Sales through Production to Shipping. It functions as a critical liaison between production, purchasing, demand management, and sales, providing direction to work center functions as it relates to production schedules.

Responsibilities

• Establish mutually-agreed capacities at each work center or constraint by working with Production, Purchasing, and Sales.
• Establish inventory requirements at SKU level based on forecast and usage data.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on schedule execution and inventory performance results.
• Ensure timely execution of all schedule requirements.
• Prepare an executable forward-scheduled production plan built upon constraint management and finite capacity.
• Develop and articulate potential solutions to scheduling problems created by changing conditions.
• Understand and articulate tradeoffs of potential solutions to senior management.
• Attend daily production meeting for input and general knowledge concerning daily production plan.
• Proactively engage key Supervisors or Managers to act upon opportunities and problems as they arise.
• Notify Sales personnel if production schedule will not meet customer schedule requirements and advise of recovery plan.
• Identify current planned level of demand, create production plans, and manage inventory to meet customer demand.
• Resolve conflicts that inhibit schedule execution.
• Interpret system-generated action messages and make necessary changes to production and/or inventory plans.
• Effectively manage a portion of capacity in MPS for unplanned events.
• Create and maintain bills of materials and routings for standard stock items.
• Determine available capacity before planned orders are released.
• Establish, measure, monitor, and adjust capacity levels to execute all manufacturing schedules.
• Measure schedule attainment.
• Allocate inventory to all production orders.
• Minimize scrap and side cuts by combining like gauges or sizes with compatible processing.
• Track, count, and reconcile finished goods and raw material inventories.
• Achieve optimal fulfillment, forecast, and inventory turn results through alignment of processes, systems, and people.
• Ensure an adequate supply of product to service customer needs while minimizing working inventory investment.
• Inform Sales, Shipping, and Shop Supervisors of any changes in the current schedule.
• Support and contribute to Policy Deployment, Value Stream Mapping, Rapid Improvement Events, and Continuous Improvement Process.
• Plan and execute special projects when assigned.

Requirements

• BS degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Management, or similar accredited business degree.
• 5 years of hands-on work center scheduling in a fast-paced repetitive production environment.
• Ability to critically analyze current state situations and establish a future state vision.
• Demonstrated track record of process improvement and complementing lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Strong mathematical skills and effective oral and written communication.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of ERP system software; SAP experience strongly preferred.
• Understanding of relationships between production plan, sales plan, and overall business plan.
• Knowledge of bills of material (BOMs) and routings.
• Knowledge of scheduling techniques (forward scheduling, backward scheduling, etc.).
• Knowledge of managing infinite loading, finite loading, load leveling, and bottleneck scheduling.
• Ability to implement and determine appropriate scheduling techniques to control capacity at work centers.
• Data-driven decision-making skills.
• Understanding of materials requirement planning (MRP), capacity management, and advanced planning system technologies.
• Planning experience for make-to-stock and make-to-order manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of cumulative lead time (stackup) analysis.
• Understanding of safety stock strategy (techniques, necessity, etc.).
• Self-starter with ability to multi-task and manage multiple concurrent responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Qualifications

• APICS CPIM certification is required.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for full-time coworkers.
• Vacation earned annually on your anniversary date with carryover options.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match.
• 100% tuition assistance for approved job-related courses and degree programs.
• Employee Assistance Program providing confidential professional assistance.
• High Family Foundation Scholarship: $4,000 annually for children of eligible coworkers.
• Good Measure Award for individuals or teams exemplifying company values.
• Access to High Health & Wellness Center.

Schedule

This is a 1st shift, in-office role.