Production Planning & Materials Manager

Sacoma Specialty Products, LLC•Edinburgh, IN

About The Position

We're looking for a Production Planning & Materials Manager to own the master schedule and materials flow across our manufacturing operations. This role is responsible for translating customer demand and sales forecasts into a realistic, achievable production plan — and then making sure the materials, capacity, and priorities are in place to hit it. You'll work daily with production leaders to balance machine and labor capacity against the schedule, resolve bottlenecks before they cause late shipments, and lead a small team responsible for scheduling and materials. This role relies heavily on data — pulling and interpreting production, demand, and capacity data to make sound scheduling decisions and build reporting that keeps leadership informed. You'll also own the accuracy and discipline of jobs and work orders in our ERP system, keeping forecasts, schedules, and shop-floor data aligned with reality. Purchasing and supplier management are part of the role, but the core of the job is planning: keeping the shop running on a schedule that's realistic, well-communicated, and actually gets hit.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, or materials management, including at least 3 years in a leadership role
Experience planning production in a machining, fabrication, welding, or metals-manufacturing environment
Hands-on experience with an ERP/MRP system for scheduling, materials planning, and job/work order management (Epicor a plus)
Experience monitoring demand forecasts and translating them into production and material plans
Strong data analysis skills, including advanced Excel (pivot tables, formulas, data modeling) and the ability to translate data into clear operational decisions
Strong ability to balance competing priorities — customer due dates, capacity constraints, and material availability — in a fast-changing environment
Proven ability to lead a team and work cross-functionally with production, quality, and sales

Nice To Haves

A production/inventory management certification (APICS/ASCM CPIM or similar)
Experience building dashboards or reports in Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools
Purchasing or supplier negotiation experience
Background working with aerospace or automotive customers
Experience in a company that runs on a structured operating framework (e.g., EOS)

Responsibilities

Build and maintain the master production schedule across all work centers, balancing customer due dates against real shop capacity
Monitor machine and labor capacity, identifying bottlenecks and overload situations before they impact delivery
Adjust priorities in response to schedule changes, rush orders, and shifting customer demand
Lead daily/weekly production planning meetings with department leads to align on priorities and constraints
Monitor sales forecasts and customer demand signals, translating them into production plans and material requirements
Track forecast accuracy over time and adjust planning assumptions as demand patterns shift
Identify capacity gaps or overload risk driven by forecasted demand, and flag them to leadership well ahead of impact
Partner with sales and account management to understand upcoming demand changes and incorporate them into the plan
Own the creation, release, and maintenance of jobs and work orders in the ERP system, ensuring they're accurate and properly sequenced
Maintain strong controls over job status, routings, and due dates so the schedule reflects what's actually happening on the shop floor
Audit open jobs regularly to catch data errors, stale information, or orders that no longer reflect current priorities
Ensure materials are available to support the production schedule, coordinating with purchasing to prevent shortages
Own inventory accuracy and lead cycle counts and physical inventory processes
Set and manage safety stock, reorder points, and lead times to support on-time production without excess inventory
Track and resolve material shortages, expediting where needed to protect the schedule
Oversee purchasing activity needed to support the production plan, including PO management and supplier expediting
Partner with suppliers on lead times, delivery performance, and responsiveness to schedule changes
Build and maintain reporting that tracks schedule adherence, capacity utilization, and material availability, using data pulled directly from the ERP system
Analyze production and demand data to identify trends, forecast capacity needs, and flag risk before it impacts the schedule
Develop and maintain planning models and dashboards in Excel (or similar tools) to support scenario planning and day-to-day decision-making
Turn raw operational data into clear, actionable recommendations for the Director of Operations and other stakeholders
Lead and develop a team of planners, schedulers, and purchasing support staff
Report on schedule performance, capacity constraints, and material risk to the Director of Operations on a regular cadence
Partner cross-functionally with production, quality, sales, and finance to keep the plan realistic and well-communicated