Production Planner / Scheduler

Aston Carter•Fort Erie, ON

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Planner develops and manages the master production schedule, aligns labor and materials with demand, and optimizes SAP-based production planning processes in a high-volume manufacturing environment. This role collaborates closely with production, procurement, quality, engineering, and customer service teams to ensure accurate planning, on-time delivery, and efficient use of resources.

Requirements

Minimum of 5+ years of production planning experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment, such as manufacturing, automotive, or heavy machinery.
Strong SAP expertise, specifically in PP, MM, and QM modules, including hands-on use of relevant transaction codes.
Ability to understand and manage how SAP PP, MM, and QM modules integrate with each other and with the MRP system.
Proven experience with production planning, master production scheduling, and MRP-driven material planning.
Proficiency with Excel and/or Google Sheets, including VLOOKUP functions and pivot tables for data analysis and reporting.
Demonstrated experience with inventory management, production control, and planning and scheduling within an ERP environment.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret MRP data, KPI metrics, and exception messages to drive planning decisions.
Effective cross-functional communication skills to work closely with production, procurement, quality, engineering, and leadership teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with SAP PP, MM, and QM modules in a repetitive manufacturing or Make-to-Stock environment.
Familiarity with managing master data in SAP, including work centers, capacities, lead times, and routings.
Experience in supply chain, material planning, and inventory management within an ERP-driven organization.
Experience supporting or leading SAP process improvements and configuration changes related to production planning.
Continuous improvement mindset with the ability to identify and implement process and technology enhancements in production control.
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills for managing complex schedules and large volumes of data.
Ability to present data clearly to stakeholders and support decision-making with structured analysis.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule in alignment with Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) and business line forecasts, in coordination with Production, Procurement, and Customer Service.
Generate detailed production schedules for in-house manufacturing and procurement schedules for purchased items, incorporating input from all relevant departments.
Continuously monitor and adjust production and procurement schedules in the ERP system to reflect changes in customer demand and internal requirements, ensuring alignment between the plan and actual activity.
Align labor, machine capacity, and raw materials to meet production deadlines while minimizing bottlenecks and maximizing throughput.
Monitor MRP data and respond to exception messages by adjusting planned and released order schedules as needed.
Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) such as On-Time Delivery (OTD), schedule accuracy, and lead times to support performance improvement.
Manage and maintain SAP master data related to work centers, labor and machine capacity, lead times, and hours of operation to ensure accurate planning and execution.
Maintain and optimize master routings so that the documented manufacturing process reflects actual operations, including accurate standard times for each operation.
Oversee production order release, ensuring that dates and other key data are accurate and properly maintained at the time of release.
Monitor stock levels and collaborate with procurement to prevent stock-outs that could disrupt production.
Understand the organization’s operational strategy and translate directives from leadership into actionable production planning activities.
Analyze current SAP configuration and functionality within Production Planning to identify opportunities to better support repetitive manufacturing processes.
Coordinate efforts to align SAP-based Make-to-Stock processes with industry and group standards, improving agility and efficiency.
Apply a continuous improvement mindset to identify new technologies, tools, and process enhancements that strengthen the Production Control function.
Collaborate with leadership and cross-functional teams to present data, communicate planning decisions, and support operational decision-making.