Production Scheduler

Aston Carter•Manitowoc, WI

5d•$34 - $38•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Scheduler develops, coordinates, and optimizes manufacturing schedules to meet customer demand, maximize capacity utilization, and support operational efficiency. The role translates forecasts, customer orders, inventory objectives, and operational requirements into executable production plans, while coordinating with cross-functional teams and improving scheduling processes and tools. The position schedules work across multiple manufacturing areas, including production lines, grid-line operations, plating operations, and evaporator manufacturing. It evaluates capacity, labor, equipment, tooling, and material availability; adapts schedules to operational changes; identifies constraints and risks; and communicates priorities and schedule impacts to affected teams. It also supports longer-range capacity planning, inventory optimization, and reliable on-time delivery. The scheduler serves as a key contact for Operations, Supply Chain, Materials, Purchasing, Logistics, Customer Service, Engineering, and other internal departments. The role helps establish and refine scheduling processes, documentation, tools, and standard work; monitors schedule performance; and supports Lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement. This is a contract-to-hire position based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It is fully onsite and supports first-shift operations, Monday through Friday. Typical hours are 6:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. or 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., with some flexibility based on production needs. The pay range is $33.65–$38.46 per hour. Individual compensation depends on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, location, internal equity, and other job-related factors.

Requirements

Three or more years of experience in production scheduling, production planning, materials coordination, supply chain planning, manufacturing operations, or a closely related field is preferred.
Demonstrated experience supporting a manufacturing or production environment.
Experience creating or maintaining production schedules based on capacity, materials, equipment, labor, and operational priorities.
Experience using ERP or MRP systems for production planning and scheduling.
Experience coordinating across Operations, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Materials, Logistics, or related departments.
Understanding of production scheduling, production sequencing, manufacturing workflows, and material movement.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including spreadsheets, reporting, data analysis, and pivot tables.
Ability to manage scheduling and planning processes to support schedule adherence and on-time delivery.
Knowledge of inventory and material management principles and their relationship to production planning.
Ability to use ERP systems and other planning tools to support production scheduling.
Communication and collaboration skills for working effectively with cross-functional teams.
Ability to identify and address capacity constraints, bottlenecks, and production risks.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field; relevant professional experience may be considered in place of a degree.
APICS CPIM, CSCP, or comparable supply chain or operations certification.
Exposure to capacity planning, inventory optimization, Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), or operational improvement initiatives.
Experience with SAP or similar ERP systems for planning and scheduling.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel reporting and analysis.
Experience in different manufacturing industries with transferable production planning, materials flow, and scheduling experience.
Familiarity with Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
Ability to interpret and use production data and performance trends to support decision-making.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain daily, weekly, and longer-range production schedules based on demand, capacity, material availability, inventory requirements, and business priorities.
Translate forecasts, customer orders, inventory objectives, and operational requirements into executable manufacturing schedules that support on-time delivery and schedule adherence.
Sequence production activities to maintain efficient work and material flow, improve throughput, reduce unnecessary changeovers, and support schedule attainment.
Schedule production across production lines, grid-line operations, plating operations, and evaporator manufacturing.
Evaluate work-center capabilities, production requirements, labor availability, equipment constraints, and material readiness when creating schedules.
Adjust schedules in response to interruptions, material shortages, staffing changes, equipment limitations, and shifting priorities.
Communicate schedule changes, production priorities, and potential risks clearly and promptly to supervisors and affected departments; facilitate regular scheduling discussions.
Review labor, equipment, tooling, manufacturing capacity, and production requirements to ensure schedules are realistic and executable.
Identify bottlenecks, capacity constraints, resource limitations, and production risks; work with production leadership to assess alternatives and make effective use of resources.
Recommend ways to improve capacity utilization, production flow, and operational efficiency; support longer-range capacity planning and production growth initiatives.
Help leadership assess when additional resources, schedule changes, or revised priorities may be necessary.
Partner with Supply Chain, Materials Planning, Purchasing, and production leadership to confirm materials are available before work is released to production.
Track material movement and flow, identify potential shortages or supply constraints, communicate risks, and coordinate mitigation and recovery plans.
Balance inventory availability with production requirements and operational priorities; monitor excess, obsolete, or slow-moving inventory risks and adjust plans accordingly.
Align scheduling priorities with the physical availability of materials and components.
Serve as a primary scheduling contact for Operations, Supply Chain, Materials, Purchasing, Logistics, Customer Service, Engineering, and other internal departments.
Build working relationships with production supervisors and employees across shifts, gather input from experienced team members, and remain accountable for scheduling decisions.
Provide recommendations when production demands, material considerations, or operational priorities conflict, and communicate significant risks to production performance, inventory, or delivery requirements.
Participate in production planning, operational review, demand review, and continuous improvement discussions, using scheduling knowledge and production data to inform decisions.
Provide stakeholders with timely, accurate information about production status, scheduling priorities, and potential constraints.
Help establish and refine the production scheduling function within a growing manufacturing team; improve scheduling efficiency, consistency, and communication.
Develop structured scheduling processes, tools, documentation, and standard work to support repeatable and scalable operations.
Monitor schedule performance and recommend corrective actions when production plans are not achieved.
Support Lean manufacturing and operational excellence initiatives, partnering with operations and continuous improvement leadership to streamline production flow.
Participate in root-cause analysis and cross-functional problem-solving related to scheduling, materials, and production performance.
Improve the use of ERP or MRP systems, scheduling tools, and production data to enhance planning accuracy and responsiveness.
Use operational information and performance trends to make data-driven recommendations that strengthen scheduling and manufacturing performance.