Production Planner

Overview

We're seeking a highly motivated Production Planner to join our team in Salt Lake City. In this role, you will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and optimizing production activities to ensure the efficient manufacture and timely delivery of finished goods. The Production Planner develops production schedules, manages inventory levels, balances capacity and material availability, and collaborates closely with manufacturing, purchasing, engineering, and customer service teams to meet business objectives. 

The ideal candidate is organized, analytical, and proactive, with a strong ability to anticipate production needs, solve problems, and adapt to changing priorities. Success in this role requires excellent planning and communication skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to driving operational efficiency, on-time delivery, and continuous improvement throughout the production process.

Responsibilities

The Production Planner is responsible for managing production schedules, ensuring efficient utilization of resources, monitoring inventory levels, and coordinating with departments to meet production targets while maintaining quality standards.

Primary responsibilities include: 

• Coordinating with department supervisors and managers to create detailed production schedules based on sales forecasts, customer orders, and available capacity, including assigning tasks to production teams and setting deadlines.  

• Managing inventory by monitoring material levels to standard and avoid shortages or excess inventory. 

• Utilizing computer software for planning, creating purchase orders, and inventory management to accurately track material flow. 

• Identifying and resolving discrepancies between inventory records and stock levels. 

• Working closely with various departments to coordinate production activities and forecast future material needs based on production schedules and orders.  

• Communicating any delays in due dates with customer service team.   

• Identifying and resolving production bottlenecks, delays, and other issues that may impact production schedules.  

• Building and managing relationships with suppliers to negotiate optimal terms of service. 

• Conducting regular audits to ensure data integrity and compliance with industry standards and best practices are kept. 

• Tracking production costs identifying areas for cost reduction. 

• Reviewing MRP suggestions to create and release work orders for production. 

• Conducting and participating in regular team meetings to discuss process improvements and monitor and manage productivity effectively.    

• Other tasks that may be assigned by manager. 

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required. 

• Degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field preferred. 

• Equivalent combination of education and relevant production planning, scheduling, or manufacturing experience may be considered. 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 

• Demonstrate proficiency with ERP software required, with Epicor preferred.  

• Experience using ERP systems for production scheduling, inventory management, demand planning, and reporting is highly desirable.  

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills necessary. 

• Understanding of manufacturing processes and operations. 

• Inventory management expertise.  

• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.