Production Planner

About the Role

As a Production Planner at Refresco, you will be responsible for materials purchase orders and delivery tracking, as well as planning production based on internal and external customer demand. Your goal will be to meet customer expectations while maintaining pre-established safety stock levels and efficiency in the manufacturing plant. You will also create stock transfer orders (STOs) for products shipped but not produced at the facility.

Responsibilities

• MRP: Learn Refresco’s MRP system, its purpose, and company best practices.
• Line Scheduling: Assist in basic line scheduling, understand system recommendations, and use tools like customer flavor changeover matrices and production sequencing.
• Material Ordering: Assess BOMs, material master data, and PRRs; place purchase orders and pull materials from appropriate suppliers.
• Leadtime: Provide material order cycle times to understand their impact on production scheduling.
• Production Attainment: Gain knowledge of line run rates and capabilities; attend meetings with operations and supply chain teams.
• Optimal Days of Supply (DOS): Understand and maintain target DOS goals.
• Safety Stock: Adhere to safety stock levels and strategies in the system.
• BOM / Master Data: Review and maintain accuracy of BOMs and master data.
• Item Changes/New Product Launches: Learn about ACE and commercial team processes for new product introductions.
• Operations Collaboration: Build knowledge of plant operations counterparts.
• STOs and Logistics Transfers: Perform stock transfers and determine when they need to be placed.
• Production Planning Escalation Support: Develop support relationships to handle changes and escalations.
• Reporting: Compile, analyze, and provide basic data for reporting purposes.
• Process Creation: Understand current processes and locate best practices files.
• KPIs: Monitor fill rate, production attainment, aged inventory, DOS, safety stock, and finished goods transfers.

Skills and Competencies

• Organizational Understanding: Know cross-functional roles and their support in production planning.
• Supplier Communication: Understand the supplier matrix for all materials.
• Customer Communication: Learn which customers and products are on which lines and their associated account managers.
• Aged Inventory: Understand aged inventory reporting and avoidance strategies.
• Demand Planning Collaboration: Work with demand planners and develop relationships for top Refresco accounts.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Use system tools like GIB, SAP, MRP, BW, PBI, and shared Excel reporting.
• Excel Analysis / BW: Perform basic Excel calculations and download data from SAP or PBI.
• Power BI: Access, navigate, and understand Power BI reports.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, or a related field (preferred).
• Prior experience in food/beverage manufacturing, sourcing, or supply chain (highly desirable).
• 3+ years of SAP experience (preferred).
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a similar role within a manufacturing environment.
• APICs certification (a plus).

Working Conditions

• Physical Demands: Continuously sitting for prolonged periods; administrative role.
• Visual/Sensory: Requires attention to detail, often focusing on one or two senses at a time.
• Work Environment: Fast-paced, requiring focus under pressure.
• Mental Stress: Pronounced pressure from deadlines, project management, and accuracy demands.

Travel Requirements

Based in the Tampa corporate office with minimal travel requirements.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• Life and AD&D insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability.
• Pet insurance and legal benefits.
• 401(k) savings plan with company match.
• 12 paid holidays.
• Vacation days and paid sick time off.
• Well-being benefit discount and total reward programs.