Production Planner

Position Overview

The Production planner is responsible for managing the day-to-day and near-term production schedule across multiple facilities, translating demand forecasts and firm customer orders into executable, material-feasible production plans. This role works closely with Demand Planning, Procurement, Operations, Quality, and Warehousing and plays a critical role in the company's Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE) and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes. The Planning Lead ensures the right products are produced in the right quantities at the right time while minimizing material shortages, unnecessary changeovers, production disruptions, and excess inventory.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain the master production schedule across the Vreeland, Madison, and Taft facilities, balancing customer demand with plant capacity, labor, equipment availability, and operational constraints.
• Translate demand forecasts and firm sales orders into manufacturing orders (MOs), including bulk MOs and multi-level packaging MOs, within the Fishbowl ERP system.
• Sequence production runs to minimize changeovers, optimize production capacity, and maximize line utilization.
• Execute material requirements planning (MRP) by comparing gross requirements against on-hand inventory and open purchase orders.
• Identify ingredient and packaging shortages and proactively communicate supply risks to Procurement, Operations, and leadership.
• Participate in the company's planning cadence, including weekly Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE), bi-weekly forecast reviews, and monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) meetings, representing the supply and capacity perspective.
• Coordinate the timing and availability of raw materials, packaging materials—including labels, cartons, plastics, containers, and lids—and finished goods with Procurement, Warehouse, Quality, and Operations teams.
• Manage and coordinate co-packer production schedules to ensure production requirements and customer commitments are met.
• Monitor inventory health, including aging inventory, on-hold inventory, pending Quality Control releases, and inventory accuracy, and drive corrective action when exceptions arise.
• Track and report key planning metrics, including schedule adherence, capacity utilization, forecast versus actual production, and inventory levels.
• Support root-cause analysis and corrective actions when actual production results differ from the established plan.
• Support new SKU introductions, BOM changes, product transitions, and business-simplification initiatives by providing planning input and feasibility analysis.
• Maintain accurate planning data and ensure production schedules are communicated clearly to all relevant stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 2–5 years of production planning or scheduling experience in a manufacturing environment; food or CPG experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of Material Requirements Planning (MRP), capacity planning, inventory management, and S&OP processes.
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems; Fishbowl experience is a plus.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and the ability to analyze large sets of production, inventory, and BOM data.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to effectively coordinate with Operations, Procurement, Quality, Warehousing, and external co-packers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing production planning across multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Experience managing or coordinating co-packer relationships and production schedules.
• Experience in food manufacturing, CPG, GMP, and food safety environments.
• Experience with data analytics, SQL, business intelligence tools, or reporting platforms.
• APICS/ASCM CPIM or CSCP certification.

What Success Looks Like – First 6 Months

• Become proficient in Fishbowl manufacturing order structures and the daily production planning workflow across all three facilities.
• Consistently develop and maintain stable, materials-feasible weekly production schedules.
• Improve schedule adherence and proactively identify production, material, capacity, and inventory risks.
• Establish strong working relationships with Operations, Procurement, Quality, Warehouse, and external co-packers.
• Become a trusted contributor to the S&OE and S&OP processes by identifying and communicating supply and capacity risks early.