Buyer - Planner III

WARN INDUSTRIES INC • Clackamas, OR, US, OR

4d • $75,000 - $95,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Buyer Planner III aligns sales forecasts, customer demand, inventory requirements, manufacturing capacity, and component availability to develop and maintain executable production schedules. While the role includes tactical purchasing responsibilities for assigned product lines, the primary focus is optimizing factory throughput, balancing inventory investment, and supporting efficient production execution. This position serves as a key liaison between Demand Planning, Operations, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Strategic Sourcing while providing guidance and mentorship to Buyer Planner I and Buyer Planner II team members. Performs advanced production planning and scheduling activities required to attain production objectives across multiple product lines and manufacturing operations. Assignments are highly complex and involve ownership of the Master Production Schedule (MPS), capacity planning, inventory optimization, and material flow management.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Five to eight years of progressively responsible experience in production planning, master scheduling, capacity planning, materials management, or supply chain operations within a high-mix or discrete manufacturing environment.
• Advanced knowledge of Master Production Scheduling (MPS), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP), and inventory management principles.
• Advanced knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and planning functionality.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP functions, data analysis, and reporting.
• Ability to analyze forecasting, inventory, capacity, and operational data to support business decisions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to mentor and develop junior planning personnel.
• Strong sense of ownership, accountability, and urgency in achieving operational objectives.
• Ability to read, write, verbalize and comprehend instructions and correspondence in the English language.
• Exhibit strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with internal and external customers while providing exceptional quality of work and outstanding customer service.
• Mathematical skills equivalent to those required under education requirement.
• Proficiency with personal computer, other office equipment, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, PowerBI, PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

• APICS/ASCM CPIM, CSCP, or related professional certification.
• Advanced knowledge of JD Edwards (JDE) or similar ERP systems.
• Experience utilizing Power BI or other business intelligence and reporting tools.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping, and Pull/Kanban replenishment systems.
• Experience supporting Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and New Product Introductions (NPI).
• Experience serving as an ERP/MRP Super User or process owner.
• Experience with finite scheduling methodologies and Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) tools.

Responsibilities

• Convert sales forecasts, customer orders, and safety stock requirements into executable Master Production Schedules (MPS) and production work orders.
• Level-load production schedules to balance machine, labor, and line capacity while maximizing throughput and operational efficiency.
• Evaluate schedule change requests and determine impacts to capacity, material availability, inventory levels, and customer lead times.
• Conduct Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) and Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) to identify bottlenecks, resource constraints, and future capacity requirements.
• Maintain and optimize planning parameters within JDE, including safety stock levels, reorder points, buffer stock strategies, and lot-sizing rules.
• Monitor work-in-process (WIP), inventory velocity, Days of Supply (DOS), inventory turns, and excess and obsolete inventory (SLOB) to support inventory optimization goals.
• Run and analyze MRP calculations to ensure component availability aligns with production schedules.
• Issue and manage purchase orders for assigned suppliers and materials while balancing inventory investment with production requirements.
• Coordinate with Strategic Sourcing and Procurement teams to address long-lead materials, supplier capacity constraints, and critical shortages.
• Lead material phase-in and phase-out activities associated with Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and New Product Introductions (NPI).
• Collaborate with Quality and Manufacturing Engineering teams to adjust schedules and material plans during quality holds, engineering changes, or equipment downtime.
• Release and manage production work orders based on material availability, production priorities, and manufacturing capacity.
• Develop reports, dashboards, and analytical tools utilizing ERP systems, Excel, and Power BI to support operational decision-making.
• Monitor and report planning KPIs, including Schedule Attainment, On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) delivery, Capacity Utilization, inventory performance, and Plan-versus-Actual production variances.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for ERP/MRP planning processes, including parameter maintenance, system enhancements, and process documentation.
• Mentor Buyer Planner I and Buyer Planner II team members on planning methodologies, scheduling strategies, and root-cause analysis.

Benefits

• 3 Weeks of Accrued Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Company Provided Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – With company match eligibility after your first paycheck
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Team Member Discounts
• Career Growth & Training

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level