Production Planning Manager

Misfits Market•Northlake, IL

1d•$100,000 - $115,000

About The Position

The Production Planning Manager is a strategic leadership role responsible for the end-to-end synchronization of manufacturing assets and market demand. You will oversee the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and play a pivotal role in the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process. Beyond tactical scheduling, you are expected to mentor junior staff, drive enterprise-level process improvements, and serve as the technical authority for our ERP/MRP ecosystems.

Requirements

BS in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or Operations Management.
5–7 years of progressive experience in manufacturing.
A track record of moving from a tactical role to a strategic one.
Deep expertise in Food Manufacturing (FSMA, SQF, HACCP compliance) and Third-Party Fulfillment (managing multiple SKUs and client-specific requirements).
Expertise in Constraints Management: Ability to identify "The Bottleneck" and build the entire facility’s rhythm around it.
Influence Without Authority: Ability to command respect from both the C-Suite and the maintenance crew on the floor.
Advanced Analytics: Not just "using" Excel, but building predictive models that account for machine MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) and labor attrition.
Expertise with inventory management and inventory systems

Nice To Haves

Masters/MBA is a plus.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (preferred but not required)

Responsibilities

Lead the monthly S&OP process, reconciling demand forecasts with plant capacity to create a robust 12-month rolling production plan.
Perform high-level capacity modeling to identify long-term constraints, recommending capital expenditures (CapEx) or shift adjustments to leadership.
Manage complex co-packing and 3PL fulfillment logic, ensuring inventory velocity matches seasonal spikes and promotional periods.
Act as the functional lead for the planning department, providing guidance, training, and professional development to junior planners and coordinators.
Standardize planning SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) across different shifts or production facilities to ensure consistency.
Facilitate "Conflict Resolution" between Sales (who want more) and Operations (who want stability), using data-backed evidence to find the most profitable path forward.
Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for ERP/MRP optimization, leading system upgrades or implementing new scheduling modules to reduce manual work.
Develop and maintain complex data dashboards (PowerBI/Tableau) that provide real-time visibility into production variance, labor efficiency, and material yields.
Integrate "Shelf-Life" and "Allergen Management" logic into automated scheduling tools to minimize food waste and risk.
Lead cross-functional "Kaizen" events to reduce changeover times (SMED) and optimize product flow.
Utilize DMAIC methodologies to investigate systemic failures in fulfillment or chronic inventory inaccuracies.
Implement "Visual Management" tools on the shop floor to bridge the gap between office-based planning and floor-based execution.