Production Planning Supervisor

Role Purpose

The Planning Supervisor leads day-to-day planning and scheduling activities to ensure production plans, material availability, and order fulfillment commitments are achieved safely, accurately, and on time. This role serves as a key link between Sales, Production, Supply Chain, and Logistics, while directly supervising a team of planners or planning specialists. The Planning Supervisor is accountable for schedule integrity, execution tracking, continuous improvement, and team development in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Planning Leadership & Team Supervision

• Supervise, mentor, and develop planning staff, serving as a positive role model with strong work ethic and attention to quality.
• Review team outputs for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to planning standards and procedures.
• Provide daily direction, priority setting, and workload balancing across the planning team.
• Support onboarding, training, and performance feedback for planning personnel.
• Reinforce safety expectations and ensure safe work practices are consistently followed.

• Production & Order Planning

• Develop and maintain master production schedules based on customer demand, work orders, capacity constraints, and material availability.
• Review incoming orders for feasibility, timing, and alignment with capacity plans.
• Cook with Production, Engineering, Procurement, and Sales to resolve conflicts and adjust plans as needed.
• Ensure schedules are executable, optimized, and aligned with plant priorities and labor capability.

• Execution Monitoring & Issue Resolution

• Track execution against daily and weekly production plans, identifying gaps and risks early.
• Lead problem-solving efforts for schedule disruptions, shortages, equipment constraints, or labor limitations.
• Communicate status updates, risks, and mitigation plans clearly to internal stakeholders.
• Drive corrective actions and follow-up to minimize customer impact and recovery delays.

• Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as the primary planning contact for internal and external stakeholders, including Sales, Operations, and Logistics.
• Ensure timely and accurate communication across functions to support order fulfillment and operational continuity.
• Align planning activities with broader operational goals, inventory strategies, and customer commitments.

• Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze planning and execution data including schedule adherence, lead times, backlog, and exception trends.
• Prepare and present planning performance reports to management.
• Identify recurring issues and lead continuous improvement initiatives related to planning accuracy, efficiency, and responsiveness.
• Support system discipline and data integrity within ERP, MES, or related planning tools.

• Shift & Shop-Floor Support

• Cook pre-shift planning activities, post-shift reviews, and schedule adjustments as required.
• Support shop-floor teams by clarifying priorities, resolving planning-related questions, and adjusting plans in real time when needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related technical field.
• 3–5 years of experience in production planning, scheduling, order management, or supply chain roles within a manufacturing environment.
• Prior experience leading or mentoring others strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of production scheduling, capacity planning, and material flow.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and strong Excel skills.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data, prioritize work, and communicate effectively across functions.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supervising planners or scheduling teams in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or operational excellence principles.
• Experience working in regulated or complex manufacturing environments.
• Advanced ERP or planning system experience (SAP, Oracle, MES, or similar).