Manager, Production Planning

Ontario Northland•North Bay, ON

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Production Planning is responsible for all administrative and analytical aspects of project planning and scheduling, including the setup and control of the resource planning system (e.g., RRP), progress monitoring, and status reporting. Working closely with Senior Management, cross functional internal stakeholders, and the Client, this role establishes, implements, and maintains production schedules in alignment with contractual requirements. The position also provides planning analysis and reporting to support informed decision-making by Senior Management and the Client.

Requirements

University degree in Project Management, Manufacturing, Business, Supply Chain, or a related discipline.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification (required); CSCP certification (required).
3–5 years of recent experience in a managerial production planning role within a manufacturing environment, with demonstrated leadership experience.
Strong experience with MRP/ERP and planning systems (e.g., ERP, EAM, SAP, Oracle, AS400) and a solid understanding of material resource planning, capacity planning, and production scheduling.
Demonstrated experience in change management, continuous improvement, and risk management.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with advanced Excel skills.
Strong analytical skills to assess production capacity, identify trends, allocate resources effectively, and support decision‑making.
Ability to read and understand technical procedures, drawings, and blueprints.
Strong organizational and time‑management skills, with the ability to adjust schedules based on resources and inventory.
Proven leadership and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization and with clients.
Detail‑oriented, solution‑focused, and able to work effectively under pressure while managing multiple priorities.
Strong commitment to health and safety.

Nice To Haves

CPIM and/or PMP certification preferred.
Rail industry experience and working knowledge of ISO 9001 standards preferred.
Experience with Visio, SharePoint, Power BI, and Intelex preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead development, maintenance, and governance of the Master Production Schedule (MPS) in alignment with contractual deliverables, collaborating with Project Planning, Production, QA, and the Client to ensure timely execution and milestone achievement.
Establish, maintain, and continuously improve project and refurbishment structures within planning systems (e.g., RRP, EAM), including task sequencing, dependencies, trade assignments, labour estimates, material costs, inspection points, and BOM linkages.
Provide administrative control and ongoing audit of master data, project structures, procedures, drawings, inventory, and labour transactions to ensure system integrity, version control, and accurate information flow to the production floor.
Monitor daily production progress through EOSRs, labour entries, and % completion updates; identify risks or variances to schedule, escalate issues, and support Production Management with data-driven recommendations.
Analyze production, inspection, labour, material, and cost trends; develop dashboards, metrics, and visual reports to support operational performance, continuous improvement initiatives, and informed decision-making.
Prepare and distribute daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly production schedules, progress reports, milestone status updates, and client-facing reports in accordance with the master contract.
Manage and report on internal and external Material Exception Forms (MEFs), including reconciliation workshops, cost validation, trend analysis, and preparation of documentation to support invoicing, financial reconciliation, and Client history book requirements.
Support financial control activities by monitoring labour and material costs against contract budgets and collaborating with Finance, Procurement, Stores, and QA to ensure accurate transactions, reconciliations, and cost reporting.
Coordinate and track critical inventories, including reconditioned and newly sourced parts, to ensure timely availability aligned with the production schedule.
Provide daily guidance and mentoring to Supervisors and Production Managers regarding extra or out-of-scope work to ensure proper documentation, approval, and cost capture.
Lead, support, and develop direct reports to ensure effective coordination and expediting of restoration activities across stations and shops.
Participate in management meetings, production floor walks, client-facing sessions, risk mitigation, KPI initiatives, and safety programs, ensuring compliance with ISO 9001 requirements.
Act as a Subject Matter Expert supporting system improvements, process enhancements, and software replacement initiatives, including engagement with internal stakeholders, vendors, and third-party consultants.