Production Planner - Centralia, MO

Job Overview

The Planner is responsible for scheduling production, managing material flow, and releasing customer and manufacturing orders to meet or exceed customer requirements. This role balances customer delivery performance, inventory objectives, and manufacturing capacity while ensuring accurate system data and effective cross‑functional coordination. The Planner works closely with Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, and Customer Service to support uninterrupted production and strong on‑time delivery performance.

#LI-KR1 

A Day In The Life

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop and maintain production schedules based on demand, material availability, and capacity.
• Release and prioritize shop orders to support efficient manufacturing flow.
• Coordinate daily with Operations to align changing priorities and production constraints.
• Maintain accurate promise dates on customer orders in alignment with defined lead times.

Customer Order Management & Delivery Performance

• Release customer orders from the planning queue based on material and capacity availability.
• Drive strong customer on‑time delivery and demonstrated lead time performance.
• Partner with Customer Service to communicate order status and resolve delivery issues.

Material Planning & Inventory Management

• Plan and manage inventory levels for assigned raw materials, WIP, subcontract, and finished goods.
• Release purchase requisitions and/or purchase orders to Buyers and suppliers as needed to support production requirements.
• Monitor material shortages and expedite internally and externally to prevent delays.
• Support identification and disposition of excess or obsolete inventory in coordination with Operations and Finance.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Issue Resolution

• Work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, and suppliers to resolve material, quality, or scheduling issues.
• Identify risks to supply or delivery and escalate proactively.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions related to planning or material performance.

System Accuracy & Data Integrity

• Maintain accurate planning, scheduling, and inventory data within SAP.
• Ensure system transactions reflect current plans, priorities, and commitments.
• Utilize Excel and other tools to analyze data and support planning decisions.

Continuous Improvement & Process Discipline

• Participate in physical inventory activities as required.
• Identify and recommend improvements to planning and scheduling processes.
• Support initiatives to improve material flow, inventory turns, and delivery reliability.

Expected Outcomes

• Customer orders are delivered on or before committed dates.
• Production schedules are realistic, executable, and aligned with capacity.
• Inventory levels support service requirements while remaining within targets.
• Material shortages and expedite activities are minimized through proactive planning.
• Accurate system data supports effective MRP and operational decision‑making.
• Strong alignment across Planning, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, and Customer Service.

What will help you thrive in this role?

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field preferred.
• Experience in production planning or materials management within a manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Outlook.
• SAP experience preferred.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.