Production Planner III

Apogee Enterprises, Inc.•Wausau, WI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Production Planner III is responsible for developing, maintaining, and optimizing the master production plan to align customer demand with manufacturing capacity, material availability, and inventory targets. This role serves as a key cross-functional link between Sales (estimating), Project Management, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Operations, ensuring seamless coordination and execution of production activities. By balancing constraints and priorities, the Production Planner III drives on-time delivery while minimizing cost, excess inventory, and waste. The role requires advanced proficiency in ERP and project management systems, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to proactively adjust plans in response to demand shifts, supply chain disruptions, and forecast variability.

Requirements

Advanced expertise in ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics, with preferred experience in Epicor and JD Edwards.
Highly proficient in data analysis tools including Excel and Smartsheet.
Demonstrated ability to analyze complex data sets, identify root causes of delays, and resolve scheduling conflicts effectively.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to negotiate priorities across departments and manage stakeholder expectations.
In-depth understanding of lean manufacturing principles, inventory management, logistics, and demand forecasting.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
3–5 years of scheduling or production planning experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
High school diploma or equivalent required.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or a related field preferred.
APICS CPIM certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with Engineering, Purchasing, Estimating, and Project Management teams to align production plan with overall business objectives.
Lead cross-functional meetings to communicate project status, gather updates, and drive accountability.
Manage multi-site production capacity, balancing workloads to maximize efficiency and meet delivery targets.
Analyze and optimize planning processes to improve throughput, reduce bottlenecks, and enhance operational performance.
Maintain and update ERP system data, including routings, operation timelines, and shop floor calendars.
Track project progress across the full value stream, adjusting schedules and buffers to ensure on-time delivery.
Proactively communicate project status, risks, and schedule changes to key stakeholders.
Develop and maintain reporting tools to monitor performance, identify trends, and highlight constraints.
Collaborate closely with Project Management, Planning, Engineering, and Purchasing teams to ensure timely completion of project milestones.
Act as a central point of communication for schedule changes and issue resolution post-release.
Provide leadership with accurate, data-driven insights on scheduling performance and capacity planning.
Maintain and communicate order lead times across product lines based on work center capacity and supplier considerations.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and support company-wide operational goals.
Maintain a working knowledge of the full production lifecycle, from order entry through shipping.
Support the Production Scheduling team with daily operations, process improvements, and special projects.

Benefits

Competitive Benefits Package for employees and their dependents (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability)
Incentive Plans
401(k) with employer contribution and match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with employer match
Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick Time)
Paid Holidays
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Wellness Program
Training and Career Progression