Planning Manager

Cox Engineering•Randolph, MA

About The Position

The Operations Planning Manager for Cambridgeport is responsible for building and managing the operational planning infrastructure required to support a fast-growing manufacturing business. This role owns capacity planning, production forecasting, staffing models, equipment planning, scheduling improvements, and cross-functional alignment with Sales, Engineering, and Finance. This role complements the EVP of Operations Execution by building the forward-looking operational plan, while the Ops Lead drives day-to-day execution. Together, they form the foundation of a scalable operations function.

Requirements

5+ years in manufacturing planning, scheduling, capacity planning, or operations analytics.
Strong understanding of production flow, routing, scheduling, and resource planning.
Experience with SOP and processes.
Strong Excel / data modeling skills.
ERP/MRP experience required
Ability to convert ambiguous goals into structured plans.

Responsibilities

Capacity & Production Planning Build 3-, 6-, and 12-month capacity plans by product line, department, and facility.
Translate sales forecasts into operational requirements.
Identify required labor, skills, machines, and shifts needed for future growth.
Model production scenarios (volume changes, product mix changes, new product introductions).
Demand Forecasting & S&OP Develop a monthly Sales & Operations Planning cadence.
Align Sales forecasts with Operations capability.
Identify gaps in capacity and propose solutions (staffing, overtime, equipment, layout changes).
Workforce Planning Build hiring plans for production in two facilities based on forecasted workload.
Partner with HR to time hiring and training before bottlenecks form.
Create cross-training strategies to increase workforce flexibility.
Equipment & Facility Planning Assess equipment utilization and future needs.
Develop ROI models for new equipment purchases.
Recommend facility layout improvements.
Lead planning for facility expansion or reconfiguration.
Process, Systems, & Scheduling Standardize production scheduling processes.
Improve sequencing to optimize flow and reduce downtime.
Work with Engineering on routings, BOM accuracy, and changeovers.
Reporting & Analytics Build dashboards for KPIs: capacity, load vs. available hours, labor needs, equipment utilization, etc.
Provide the leadership team with weekly visibility on constraints and risks.
Drive data-based decision making within operations.
Cross-Functional Alignment Work closely with Sales on forecast updates.
Work with Finance on modeling labor, overtime, and capital requirements.
Work with Engineering on new products, design changes, and manufacturability.