Senior Production Planner

About the role

Rubbercraft (RCC) is seeking a senior Production Planner IV to lead production planning activities across multiple value streams. This role partners with Production Managers, Manufacturing Leadership, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Sales, and executive stakeholders to optimize production performance and customer delivery. The Production Planner IV develops and maintains master production schedules, performs advanced capacity analysis, identifies long-term production constraints, and drives strategic planning initiatives to improve schedule attainment, inventory performance, and operational efficiency. This position serves as the primary planning liaison for Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) and plays a critical role in balancing customer demand, manufacturing capacity, inventory strategy, and business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead advanced capacity analysis to support long-range planning, business growth, forecast changes, new product introductions, and what-if scenario modeling.
• Own the development, maintenance, and execution of master production schedules across multiple value streams while balancing customer demand, capacity, inventory, and resource utilization.
• Provide strategic planning recommendations to leadership regarding production capacity, labor requirements, inventory optimization, and scheduling priorities.
• Release manufacturing orders and engineering change orders in a timely manner to support production schedules.
• Review, prioritize, and resolve complex MRP planning exception messages while driving improvements to planning accuracy.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for MRP planning parameters, master data integrity, and ERP planning processes.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, capacity constraints, and inventory exposures through proactive planning and cross-functional collaboration.
• Lead coordination with Manufacturing, Engineering, Purchasing, Customer Service, and Sales to evaluate schedule impacts for expedite requests, engineering changes, and customer priorities.
• Manage customer line-of-balance requirements and open order reporting, ensuring accurate recovery dates, production status, and customer commitments within Great Plains.
• Coordinate with Purchasing to ensure timely procurement of materials and services required to support production schedules.
• Present planning analysis, capacity forecasts, production metrics, and scheduling recommendations to senior leadership.
• Lead special projects involving planning optimization, ERP enhancements, reporting automation, inventory initiatives, and continuous improvement.
• Communicate critical production risks, material shortages, and schedule deviations to the Planning Manager, Supply Chain Director, and key stakeholders while recommending corrective actions.
• Develop contingency plans to maintain customer commitments during significant production disruptions and coordinate execution across departments.
• Mentor and provide guidance to Production Planners and other planning personnel on scheduling methodologies, ERP processes, planning best practices, and problem-solving techniques.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve planning accuracy, inventory performance, schedule adherence, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Review and recommend improvements to planning processes, ERP workflows, manufacturing order management, BOM accuracy, routing accuracy, and reporting capabilities.
• Monitor, analyze, and communicate KPI performance related to schedule attainment, capacity utilization, inventory levels, forecast accuracy, and on-time delivery.
• Support Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) activities by providing planning analysis, production forecasts, capacity modeling, and inventory recommendations.
• Ensure proper documentation of build plans and required approvals.
• Comply with company housekeeping and safety practices.

Requirements

• 7-10+ years of progressive production planning experience in a manufacturing environment; aerospace manufacturing experience highly desirable.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Extensive experience with master scheduling, production planning, rough-cut capacity planning, and demand management.
• Advanced ERP/MRP planning experience.
• Experience supporting Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP).
• Experience leading cross-functional planning initiatives.
• Experience in a fast-paced, high-mix manufacturing environment.
• Experience driving planning process improvements and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience mentoring or providing technical guidance to planners preferred.

Skills

• CPIM Certification strongly preferred; APICS or other supply chain certification highly desirable.
• Advanced understanding of S&OP, demand planning, master scheduling, inventory management, capacity planning, finite scheduling, and material replenishment methodologies.
• Advanced knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and planning master data management.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance customer requirements, operational constraints, and financial objectives.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate complex manufacturing scenarios and recommend data-driven solutions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with production teams, cross-functional departments, and executive leadership.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Power Query, charts, dashboards, and complex data analysis.
• Experience reviewing and issuing manufacturing orders, BOMs, and routing structures.
• Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred.
• Microsoft Great Plains MRP experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead planning initiatives and influence decision-making across multiple departments.
• Ability to effectively work with individuals at all organizational levels, including senior leadership.
• Highly motivated, proactive, and results-oriented with a strong commitment to operational excellence.
• Demonstrated leadership, mentoring, and coaching abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy in a dynamic manufacturing environment.
• Strong follow-through with the persistence to drive issues to resolution.
• Leads by example while fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Accident insurance.
• Critical illness insurance.
• Basic and supplemental life insurance.
• Employee assistance plan.
• Retirement savings and matching.
• Developmental opportunities.

This position requires access to information subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a “U.S. person” as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees, as required by U.S. export control laws.