Production Planner

Ventek Solutions•Shelbyville, TN

16h•Onsite

About The Position

Ventek Solutions is a leading manufacturer specializing in engineered shape molded foam components, protective packaging, and multi-material assembly solutions. The organization helps customers address complex challenges in product protection, component light-weighting, insulation, and design simplification. Ventek’s services span a variety of industries, including construction, automotive, electronics, medical, and more. Ventek Solutions leverages creative design, thoughtful engineering, and meticulous program management to deliver customized solutions. Ventek operates 9 plants in the US and Mexico with corporate headquarters in Charleston, SC. In 2024, Black Diamond Capital Management acquired the Protective Solutions segment of Sonoco Products Company, rebranding the business as Ventek Solutions LLC. This acquisition encompassed the existing manufacturing footprint along with the embedded design engineering, program management, and commercial resources. As Ventek Solutions, we are dedicated to maintaining our advanced capabilities in creative design, thoughtful engineering, meticulous program management, operational excellence, and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. The Production Planner will work onsite Mon-Friday at our Shelbyville, KY plant. The role will plan and schedule all production activity to meet customer demand and plant efficiency goals, while ensuring raw material and consumable availability through ordering and kanban management, accurately maintaining production and inventory records, and supporting month-end inventory true-up processes.

Requirements

2+ years of experience in production scheduling, planning, or materials management, preferably in a manufacturing environment
Experience with ERP/MRP systems for scheduling, purchasing, and inventory
Strong Excel skills; comfort working with data to plan and troubleshoot schedule/material issues
Understanding of kanban/pull-based inventory systems and lean manufacturing principles
Basic understanding of inventory accounting concepts (cycle counts, variances, true-ups)
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
Clear communicator, comfortable coordinating across production, purchasing, maintenance, and finance
Must be authorized to work in the US without need for sponsorship

Nice To Haves

Molding, plastics, or process manufacturing experience a plus

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the master production schedule across all molding presses/lines and secondary operations based on customer demand, order due dates, and capacity
Sequence production runs to minimize changeover time while meeting on-time delivery targets
Adjust the schedule in real time to account for breakdowns, material shortages, quality holds, or rush orders
Communicate schedule changes clearly and promptly to production, maintenance, and warehouse teams
Balance mold availability, press capacity, and labor/shift coverage when building the schedule
Monitor schedule attainment and flag risks to on-time delivery to plant leadership
Coordinate with sales/customer service on order changes, expedites, and delivery commitments
Support new product/mold launches by scheduling trial runs and initial production ramp-up
Determine raw material requirements (resin/beads, packaging, additives) based on the production schedule and lead times
Place purchase orders for raw materials and consumables, ensuring adequate supply without excess inventory
Monitor supplier lead times and delivery performance; escalate risks to on-time material availability
Coordinate with purchasing/procurement on pricing, supplier issues, and alternate sourcing when needed
Adjust order quantities and timing based on schedule changes, demand shifts, or supplier constraints
Create and maintain kanban systems for raw materials, consumables, and WIP to ensure appropriate min/max levels at point of use
Regularly audit kanban bins/cards and adjust trigger points based on actual usage and lead time changes
Partner with production and warehouse teams to ensure kanban replenishment signals are followed correctly
Maintain accurate inventory locations and cycle count support for raw materials, consumables, and finished goods as needed
Enter production run data (quantities produced, scrap, downtime, material consumption) into the ERP/MRP or production tracking system accurately and on schedule
Reconcile production entries against the schedule and investigate discrepancies
Maintain accurate bills of material (BOMs) and routing data in the system in coordination with engineering
Generate regular reports on schedule attainment, production output, and material usage for plant leadership
Support month-end physical inventory counts and cycle counts for raw materials, WIP, and finished goods
Reconcile physical inventory counts against system quantities and investigate variances
Post inventory adjustments and true-up entries in the ERP system per established accounting procedures
Work with finance/accounting to explain significant inventory variances and support root cause resolution
Ensure production and material consumption transactions are complete and accurate prior to month-end close
Identify and correct recurring sources of inventory variance (e.g., unrecorded scrap, mis-issued materials, uncounted consumables)
Work closely with production supervisors to align the schedule with real-time floor conditions
Coordinate with the Maintenance Manager on planned downtime, PM schedules, and equipment availability affecting the schedule
Partner with quality on hold/release of material affecting scheduling or inventory
Support continuous improvement efforts related to scheduling accuracy, material flow, and inventory control