Production Planner/Scheduler (Contract Role)

Job summary

The production planner is responsible for developing and executing production schedules that optimize manufacturing capacity and inventory levels. They collaborate across departments to ensure material availability and schedule adherence while balancing supply and demand.

Job details

Job Summary The production planner/scheduler is responsible for developing and executing production plans that optimize manufacturing capacity, inventory investments and customer service performance across injection molding and extrusion operations. This role collaborates closely with Customer service, Procurement, Manufacturing, Logistics, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Tooling and Warehouse teams to ensure production schedule aligns with customer demands, material availability, labor resource, tooling constraints and equipment capacity. Balance demand and supply while driving schedule adherence, inventory accuracy, manufacturing efficiency and continuous improvement throughout the production planning process Education: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field. Working towards certification in CPIM an asset. Qualifications * Minimum of 3-5 years of production planning, scheduling or supply chain planning experience within high volume manufacturing environment * Experience in manufacturing plastics, including injection molding and/or extrusion environment is strongly preferred * Working knowledge of material requirement planning (MRP), Master production scheduling (MPS), sales & operations planning (S&OP) and capacity planning principles * Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems (IQMS, SAP or similar manufacturing ERP systems * Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas and data analysis. * Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail * Demonstrate ability to prioritize multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment * Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with ability to influence cross functional teams * Strong understanding of inventory management, production flow, manufacturing constraints and scheduling methodologies * Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement, and waste reduction initiatives is an asset. Key Responsibilities Production Planning & Scheduling * Develop and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules that support customer demand while maximizing manufacturing efficiency. * Create finite production schedules considering machine capacity, tooling availability, labour resources, raw material availability, changeovers, and production priorities. * Maintain and adjust schedules in response to changing customer requirements, production constraints, equipment downtime, and material shortages. * Monitor schedule adherence and proactively resolve issues impacting production performance. * Balance production capacity across multiple manufacturing cells, presses, and extrusion lines. Demand & Supply Planning * Translate customer forecasts, sales orders, and demand signals into executable production plans. * Collaborate with Customer Service and Sales to prioritize customer orders and maintain targeted service levels. * Partner with Procurement to ensure raw materials, packaging, and purchased components are available to support production schedules. * Review inventory levels and recommend production quantities that optimize inventory turns while minimizing stockouts and excess inventory. * Support inventory optimization initiatives through effective planning and demand management. ERP & Data Management * Generate and release production work orders in accordance with the master production schedule. * Ensure data integrity within the ERP system to support accurate planning and reporting. Cross-Functional Collaboration * Work closely with Manufacturing, Maintenance, Tooling, Engineering, Quality, Warehouse, and Procurement to ensure production readiness. * Participate in daily production meetings to communicate schedule priorities, capacity constraints, and recovery plans. * Coordinate outside processing, subcontracting, and secondary operations as required. * Support new product launches, engineering changes, and production transitions by ensuring planning data is updated. Inventory Management * Monitor finished goods, work-in-process, and raw material inventory levels. * Identify slow-moving and obsolete inventory and provide recommendations for disposition. * Support physical inventory counts and cycle counting activities as required. * Maintain inventory levels that support customer service objectives while minimizing working capital investment. Reporting & Performance Metrics Prepare and monitor key performance indicators including: * Schedule Attainment * On-Time Delivery (OTD) * Customer Service Level * Production Schedule Adherence * Inventory Turns * Capacity Utilization * Manufacturing Efficiency * Backorder Performance * MRP Exception Management * Production Throughput Provide regular reporting and analysis to management, identifying risks, trends, and recommendations for corrective action. Gracious Living is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a safe environment for all employees equally. We adhere to all guidelines set forth in the OHSA and the AODA and focus on inclusivity in all of our employment practices. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let us know at the time of application.

What you’ll do

The production planner is responsible for developing and executing production schedules that optimize manufacturing capacity and inventory levels. They collaborate across departments to ensure material availability and schedule adherence while balancing supply and demand.

Requirements

Candidates must have 3-5 years of production planning experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment, preferably with plastics. Proficiency in ERP systems and advanced Microsoft Excel skills are required, along with a bachelor's degree.

Listed skills

• Continuous Improvement · Preferred
• Production Planning · Preferred
• ERP systems · Preferred
• Supply Chain Planning · Preferred
• Data analysis · Preferred
• Microsoft Excel · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• Lean Manufacturing · Preferred
• Inventory management · Preferred
• scheduling · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Production Planning
• Scheduling
• Supply Chain Planning
• Injection Molding
• Extrusion
• MRP
• MPS
• S&OP
• Capacity Planning
• ERP Systems
• Microsoft Excel
• Data Analysis
• Inventory Management
• Lean Manufacturing
• Continuous Improvement
• Communication
• Vlookups
• Sales Forecasting
• Business Metrics
• Reporting and Analysis
• Sales and Operations Planning
• Influencing Skills
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Demand Management
• Production Readiness
• Planning
• Management
• Capacity Utilization
• Investments
• Certified in Planning and Inventory Management
• Customer Service
• Procurement
• Continuous Improvement Process
• Customer Demand Planning
• Cycle Counting
• Data Integrity
• Data Management
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Pivot Tables And Charts
• Management By Exception
• Sales
• Finished Good
• Packaging And Labeling
• Warehousing
• Inventory Turnover
• Problem Solving
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Logistics Engineering
• Supply And Demand
• Material Requirements Planning

Job areas

• Manufacturing
• Logistics
• Engineering
• Management & Leadership
• Data & Analytics
• Production Planner/Scheduler
• Scheduler / Operations Coordinator
• Stock Clerks
• Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks