Central Planner

Select Division • Buffalo, NY

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Lactalis American Group is hiring a Central Planner based in Buffalo, New York. The role is responsible for short- and mid-term capacity, inventory levels, and transportation requirements for assigned product lines or replenishment management. The objective is to maintain established finished-goods levels, meet customer-service goals, and use manufacturing resources efficiently.

The Central Planner coordinates with plant schedulers, Demand Planners, Customer Service, Transportation Planners, distribution centers, sales personnel, manufacturing teams, and co-packers. The role monitors production and inventory plans, manages product-aging and waste risks, supports cross-functional planning meetings, and drives process improvements. The position requires physical presence in the office under the Hybrid Work Policy, with occasional travel and extended hours possible depending on project needs.

Requirements

• Associate degree or higher preferred; ideally, a bachelor's degree or a combination of education and industry experience.
• At least 1 year of planning experience preferred, or a combination of transferable education and experience.
• Ability to learn and use FuturMaster, Stratum, and AS/400.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in the food industry, related supply chain, or financial analysis.
• APICS or CPIM certification, or similar knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and prepare reports on plant capacity utilization by product line.
• Understand position, planning-department, and cross-functional KPIs to support sound company decisions.
• Conduct inventory simulations to determine optimal safety stock and inventory levels based on demand and shelf-life constraints.
• Analyze risks of product dumps and downgrades and work with Customer Service to minimize or mitigate negative impacts.
• Identify problematic SKUs based on efficiency, waste risk, volume, labor, and other factors for possible discontinuation or rationalization.
• Provide finished-goods requirements to plant schedulers, monitor production schedules, and initiate corrective action when needed.
• Plan and enter interplant shipment orders for assigned products or distribution centers within inventory standards and lead times.
• Communicate interplant logistics requirements so equipment is available to move finished goods between plants and distribution centers.
• Communicate inventory-plan changes that may affect customer delivery commitments to Customer Service and Transportation Planners in a timely manner.
• Communicate regularly with Demand Planners to identify forecast challenges and production bottlenecks.
• Analyze and manage aging and 8-day-to-expire reports to mitigate waste risks.
• Review capacity graphs for assigned product lines and use FuturMaster to guide inventory planning.
• Prepare and distribute meeting recaps and action items, and ensure accountability for those actions and business-continuity needs.
• Facilitate monthly and weekly meetings with strategic cross-functional teams, including internal teams and co-packers.
• Coordinate with distribution-center and sales personnel to monitor inventory and finished-product aging and minimize product loss due to expiration.
• Coordinate with Manufacturing to support transparency and production-plan efficiency.
• Prepare and distribute reports on activity and performance metrics.
• Cross-train with other Central Planners and provide backup during vacations and daily absences.
• Work directly with the Supply Planning Manager on projects and implement new processes where applicable.
• Visit manufacturing sites for managed production to understand processes and build relationships.
• Provide necessary training to new supply planners or associate supply planners.

Benefits

• Affordable benefits and coverage options through a comprehensive Total Rewards Program.
• Company support for insurance costs.
• Contributions to retirement plans.
• Paid Time Off from day one.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Education reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree