Production Planning Manager

Techmer Career•Clinton, TN

About The Position

Techmer PM is seeking an experienced Production Planning Manager to lead the end-to-end production planning and scheduling function across a complex, multi-asset, multi-site batch manufacturing environment. The role translates customer demand into executable production plans that optimize on-time delivery, manufacturing capacity, batch size, production sequencing, changeovers, raw material availability, inventory levels, and overall plant efficiency. The manager works closely with Production, Sales, Customer Service, Procurement, Quality, Process Engineering, Technology, and Supply Chain teams to balance customer requirements with manufacturing capabilities and operational constraints. This includes making trade-offs involving customer priorities, capacity, material availability, equipment capability, product compatibility, changeovers, inventory, and manufacturing costs. The role leads and develops a team of Production Planners, Schedulers, and Scheduling Coordinators; supports the monthly SIOP process; owns production-planning processes in ERP and planning systems; and drives performance visibility and continuous improvement. Success is measured using service, schedule adherence, capacity, changeover, production, inventory, disruption, and ERP accuracy metrics.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and manufacturing experience.
7+ years of progressive experience in production planning, scheduling, supply chain, or manufacturing operations.
Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop Production Planners, Schedulers, and/or Scheduling Coordinators.
Demonstrated experience in made-to-order, batch-process, or high-mix manufacturing environments.
Strong knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and production scheduling methodologies.
Experience managing constrained-capacity production schedules.
Demonstrated ability to analyze complex operational requirements and make sound prioritization decisions.
Skills in production planning and scheduling, capacity planning and constraint management, batch manufacturing and production sequencing, ERP/MRP systems, inventory and materials management, data analysis and KPI management, analytical decision making, manufacturing cost awareness, continuous improvement, cross-functional leadership, customer-focused problem solving, change management, team development and coaching, and written and verbal communication.
Ability to make effective decisions under changing priorities and time constraints.

Nice To Haves

3+ years of leadership or supervisory experience.
Experience in plastics, compounding, chemicals, or other process/batch manufacturing environments.
APICS/ASCM CPIM or CSCP certification.
Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma experience.
Experience with advanced planning and scheduling systems.
Experience using Microsoft Dynamics 365 or similar ERP platforms.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute integrated production plans that translate customer demand into optimized batch-production schedules.
Balance line capacity, production rates, batch sizes, labor availability, maintenance requirements, and raw material supply.
Optimize production sequencing to reduce product and color changeovers, cleaning requirements, scrap, downtime, and other schedule-related losses.
Drive improvements in schedule adherence and operational efficiency.
Establish scheduling priorities and decision-making rules that balance customer service with manufacturing efficiency.
Ensure planners build schedules that align with preferred production lines, manufacturing requirements, product restrictions, and operational capabilities.
Continuously evaluate capacity utilization and opportunities to improve throughput.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Production Planners, Schedulers, and Scheduling Coordinators.
Establish clear roles, expectations, and standard work processes; develop team capabilities in planning, ERP utilization, analytical problem solving, prioritization, and manufacturing operations knowledge.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Lead response and recovery efforts for supply chain and production disruptions, including equipment failures, raw material shortages, quality issues, labor constraints, and urgent customer requirements.
Develop contingency plans and rapidly re-prioritize production when disruptions occur; coordinate cross-functional responses to minimize service disruptions.
Support the monthly Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) process by providing accurate capacity, inventory, and production data.
Identify potential operational constraints and recommend solutions to support business objectives.
Serve as the functional owner of production-planning processes within ERP and planning systems.
Establish master-data standards and maintain data integrity.
Identify opportunities to automate manual planning activities and improve system functionality; partner with IT and business stakeholders to enhance planning tools and processes.
Develop and maintain dashboards, reporting, and KPIs related to planning performance.
Monitor schedule adherence, OTIF performance, lead times, production efficiency, and capacity utilization.
Identify opportunities to reduce changeovers, improve scheduling effectiveness, and enhance overall manufacturing performance.