Production Planning Administrator

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and highly organized Production Planning Administrator to coordinate production schedules, maintain accurate planning data, and support efficient manufacturing operations. In this role, you will work closely with Production, Purchasing, Warehouse, Engineering, Customer Service, and Logistics to align customer demand with material availability and manufacturing capacity. You will also use ERP systems and advanced Microsoft Excel tools to monitor performance, report key metrics, resolve scheduling issues, and support continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and communicate daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules.
• Establish production priorities based on customer demand, material availability, manufacturing capacity, and delivery commitments.
• Monitor work orders and production progress to ensure schedules and customer requirements are met.
• Maintain accurate work-order, scheduling, inventory, and production data in the company's ERP system.
• Identify scheduling conflicts, capacity constraints, material shortages, and production bottlenecks.
• Work with Production and Engineering to resolve issues affecting manufacturing flow.
• Collaborate with Purchasing to ensure materials are available when required.
• Coordinate with Warehouse and Logistics teams to support production flow and shipping schedules.
• Assist with inventory planning, cycle counts, variance investigation, and reconciliation.
• Prepare and distribute production reports using advanced Microsoft Excel tools, including PivotTables, PivotCharts, Power Query, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, conditional formatting, charts, and dashboards.
• Track, analyze, and report key performance indicators, including:
  • On-Time Delivery
  • Schedule Attainment
  • Production Efficiency
  • Inventory Accuracy
  • Capacity Utilization
  • Labor Productivity
  • Scrap and Rework
• Prepare reports, dashboards, and presentations for management meetings.
• Recommend process improvements that increase productivity, improve planning accuracy, and reduce waste.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Ensure planning activities comply with company policies, quality standards, and safety procedures.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day direction and support to production-planning staff and administrative personnel.
• Monitor departmental workloads and assign priorities based on operational requirements.
• Train and mentor team members on ERP processes, scheduling practices, and planning procedures.
• Support performance evaluations, employee development, and cross-training activities.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Three to five or more years of experience in production planning, scheduling, inventory control, or manufacturing administration.
• Previous experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of production-planning principles, scheduling, capacity planning, and inventory control.
• Experience using an ERP or MRP platform, such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Plex, or a comparable system.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including:
  • PivotTables and PivotCharts
  • XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP
  • INDEX-MATCH
  • Power Query
  • Conditional Formatting
  • Data Validation
  • Charts and dashboard development
• Experience developing, monitoring, and reporting operational KPIs.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and organizational levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS/ASCM CPIM certification or equivalent.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Methodologies.
• Experience with reporting and business intelligence tools such as Power BI.