MPI Calera - Production Planner

McWane, Inc.•Calera, AL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

McWane Plant and Industrial (MPI) is seeking an experienced, highly organized Production Planner for its Calera, Alabama location. Working in a rapidly evolving, high-mix/low-volume manufacturing environment, the Production Planner collaborates with stakeholders and applies project management principles to plan, execute, monitor, and close production planning processes. The role analyzes historical data to support informed decisions, improve forecast accuracy, reduce stockouts and overproduction, and maintain high-quality standards. The position reports directly to the Production Control Manager.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or another relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience.
At least 3 years of experience in inventory management, supply chain, project management, or warehouse management.
At least 3 years of experience with production planning.
Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite.
High integrity, time-management ability, strong communication skills, and an emphasis on active listening.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Self-directed and self-motivated, with attention to detail, strong organization, and interpersonal skills.
Leadership skills.
Commitment to safe and environmentally responsible workplace practices.
Ability to work and communicate effectively in a collaborative environment.
Ability to meet and adhere to physical requirements and wear appropriate PPE.
Ability to tolerate exposure to loud noise, heat, cold, vibration, dust, and fumes.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of D365.

Responsibilities

Ensure personal safety and the safety of team members.
Partner with Sales, Engineering, and Customer Service to understand and validate make-to-order sales demand and make-to-stock forecasted demand, and develop and maintain master production schedules.
Identify production planning requirements based on customer commitments, inventory levels, and capacity constraints.
Initiate planning cycles in D365 to generate MRP outputs and align plans with business goals.
Translate sales orders and forecasts into executable production plans using D365 MRP.
Balance demand with available capacity, material availability, and lead times.
Coordinate with Purchasing to ensure timely procurement of materials based on MRP outputs.
Plan inventory levels, reorder points, safety stock, and lot sizes to support the make-to-stock strategy.
Maintain D365 planning parameters, including lead times, safety stock levels, minimum and maximum order quantities, and reorder points.
Issue daily and weekly production schedules to the Shop Superintendent or Supervisor.
Release work orders in D365 based on material availability and shop-floor capacity.
Ensure timely execution of production orders to meet customer ship dates and on-time delivery targets.
Coordinate with Quality to ensure production complies with QMS standards and specifications.
Communicate with Shipping to ensure timely dispatch of completed goods.
Monitor production progress and adjust schedules in response to changes in demand, capacity, or material availability.
Track and report KPIs such as on-time delivery, backlog, and schedule adherence.
Maintain accurate, current D365 data, including work order status, ship dates, and inventory levels.
Use visual management tools, such as production and resource boards, to track daily goals and performance.
Identify and resolve production-flow bottlenecks or constraints, coordinating with other MPI locations as needed.
Document and communicate scrap and rework processes in D365 and QT9.
Ensure work orders are properly closed in D365, including RAF and Ended status, before shipment.
Ensure materials and labor are allocated to work orders.
Conduct post-production analysis to identify variances and improvement opportunities.
Complete transactions for variances between issued work orders and completion.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives related to planning, scheduling, and inventory management.