Production Coordinator/Scheduler

About the role

Grace, a Standard Industries company, is a leading global supplier of catalysts, engineered materials and fine chemicals, headquartered in Columbia, MD with operations worldwide. The Production Coordinator / Plant Scheduler will serve as the primary scheduling and material and production coordinator for a chemical manufacturing facility at the Curtis Bay manufacturing complex. This role translates master production plans into daily actionable scheduling itineraries, manages the logistics and staged movement of chemical products (raw materials, intermediates, bulk liquids, packaging materials, and finished goods), and directly impacts plant schedule adherence, chemical inventory accuracy, and uninterrupted batch and continuous manufacturing operations. Reporting to an operations manager, the position collaborates closely with plant supervisors, process operators, logistics teams, warehouse staff, and central supply chain planners, providing a key linkage between the site and broader Supply Chain organization.

Responsibilities

• Develop, publish, and maintain daily and weekly plant production schedules for batch and continuous chemical processes.
• Translate master production plans into sequence-optimized daily operational work targets, equipment allocations, and operator execution schedules.
• Monitor and coordinate real-time production throughput against the schedule, identifying constraints, downtime risks, or batch delays, and adjust schedules dynamically.
• Facilitate and support daily morning scheduling alignment meetings with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Logistics to establish operational priorities.
• Direct and track the staging, transfer, and movement of raw chemicals, liquid intermediates, additives, packaging, and finished goods across tanks, silos, and storage units.
• Develop and maintain daily game plans that translate production schedules into actionable work assignments and resource & execution priorities.
• Coordinate with site logistics, rail, and trucking personnel to ensure timely load/unload operations and off-site/on-site transport of chemical inventory.
• Monitor chemical tank levels, silo capacities, and bulk storage limits to prevent production outages or storage overflows.
• Work in SAP (or equivalent ERP) to execute material movements, production backflushes, cycle counts, and inventory reconciliations accurately.
• Comply with all site Environmental, Health, Safety (EHS), and Process Safety Management (PSM) protocols governing chemical handling and movement.
• Coordinate schedule adjustments during unit turnarounds, equipment maintenance outages, or raw material supply delays.
• Support monthly inventory close processes, data validation, and tracking of core KPIs, including Schedule Adherence, Material Availability, and Inventory Accuracy.
• Report risks to production, safety hazards, deviations, and incidents in a timely manner.
• Monitor production progress throughout the shift and escalate issues that may impact schedule attainment, customer commitments or operational efficiency.
• Measure and report on shift, daily and weekly schedule adherence and other scheduling KPIs.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on production execution, inventory accuracy, material flow and operational effectiveness.

Physical Requirements and Environment

• Ability to follow safety protocols and standards working in a pilot plant facility with highly hazardous materials.
• Ability to work in a high hazard environment, including adverse weather conditions, elevated spaces, confined spaces, extreme temperatures, and noisy surroundings.
• Must be able to stand, walk, sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and climb stairs and ladders over 100 ft.
• Must be willing to wear PPE (Personal Protective equipment) including but not limited to hard hat, protective eyewear, steel-toed boots, hearing protection, Level A suit, full face respirator.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• 3+ years of experience in production scheduling, material control, or logistics execution within a chemical, petro-chemical, process manufacturing, or industrial plant environment.
• Training and experience in production scheduling for batch or continuous chemical manufacturing processes, cycle counting, inventory reconciliation, and inventory accuracy programs.
• Hands-on experience with SAP (or similar enterprise ERP system) for production tracking, scheduling, and inventory movement transactions.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and time-management skills; ability to cross-functionally influence production supervisors, operators, and supply chain partners without direct line authority.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer-sponsored work authorization; this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or visa transfer.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Operations Management, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• APICS CPIM or CSCP certificate.
• Familiarity with bulk material transfer, hazardous material movement guidelines, and chemical inventory reconciliation practices.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Grace Wellness Program
• Flexible Workplace
• Retirement Plans 401(k) Company Match
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• Parental Leave
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Company Donation Match Program
• U.S. Employee Benefits Summary (grace.com