Principal Production Planner

Medtronic•Toledo, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world. A Day in the Life At Medtronic, we seek out and hire a diverse workforce at every level. We need fresh ideas and inclusive insights to continue being an innovative industry leader — that’s why we make it a priority to seek, attract, and develop employees who are patient-centric, passionate, and who reflect the same wide range of life experiences as the patients we serve. We are currently seeking a Principal Production Planner (Operations Planner) for our Irvine, CA site. This role sits within the Operations Scheduling organization and plays a critical, strategic role in ensuring supply continuity and operational excellence. The Principal Planner will collaborate extensively with Master Production Scheduling, Supply Network Planning, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Master Data, and external partners. This position is fully on-site, with the expectation that the employee will be on campus for all working days. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in production planning, demonstrates strong leadership without formal authority, and brings thought leadership to drive supply chain improvements. Do meaningful work, make a difference, and improve lives — starting with your own! In this highly visible and influential role, you will drive end-to-end production planning execution and lead initiatives that improve supply health, operational efficiency, and delivery performance. You will own critical processes such as daily/weekly production scheduling , material readiness, new product introduction planning, and scenario analysis in support of key business objectives . You will act as the primary planning expert for your value stream, identify and mitigate risks, influence cross-functional decisions, and provide insights that shape operational strategies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience , OR Advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience

Nice To Haves

Deep experience with MRP/ERP systems (strong preference for SAP or Blue Yonder )
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and data analysis tools
Strong analytical, quantitative, and data-driven decision-making skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to influence peers and leadership
Strong organizational skills and mastery of cross-functional collaboration
Ability to identify patterns, connect detailed data to strategy, and anticipate upstream/downstream impacts
Experience working in a regulated industry (medical device or pharmaceutical preferred)
Understanding of quality systems and good manufacturing practices
APICS CPIM/CSCP or other supply chain certifications
Understanding of cost accounting principles
Knowledge of supply, services, or confidentiality contracts
Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt (or comparable continuous improvement training)

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary planning authority for the assigned value stream, providing strategic guidance and expert insights.
Own production planning, prioritization, and KPI oversight at a strategic level.
Lead inventory management, consumption analysis , and root-cause investigation for variances.
Develop and communicate supply health assessments , mitigation plans, and operational recommendations.
Conduct scenario planning , capacity analysis, and planning simulations to support business decisions.
Represent Operations Scheduling in cross-functional forums, presenting findings, risks, and recommendations.
Own and troubleshoot advanced master production scheduling issues within SAP, including master data impacts.
Partner with operations and supply chain leadership to define planning strategies that support financial and service goals.
Participate in and lead tier meetings, driving clarity and alignment on supply, materials availability, and production priorities.
Monitor and report performance metrics; develop insights to improve planning accuracy and operational execution.
Coach and provide guidance to less experienced planners (no direct people management )

Benefits

Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values.
We recognize their contributions.
They share in the success they help to create.
We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.
Health, Dental and vision insurance
Health Savings Account
Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
Life insurance
Long-term disability leave
Dependent daycare spending account
Tuition assistance/reimbursement
Simple Steps (global well-being program)
Incentive plans
401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match
Short-term disability
Paid time off
Paid holidays
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Employee Assistance Program
Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums)
Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums)