Production Scheduling Lead

Thread Craft•Sterling Heights, MI

About The Position

Thread-Craft is seeking an experienced Production Scheduling Lead to oversee and optimize production scheduling within their manufacturing operation. This role involves more than just maintaining a schedule; it requires developing a structured, visible, and effective production scheduling process. The goal is to enhance the team's understanding of priorities, identify constraints, communicate risks, and ultimately improve on-time delivery. The Lead will collaborate with various departments including Operations, Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, Quality, and Leadership to align production needs with available resources, anticipate potential roadblocks, and ensure customer commitments are met. The ideal candidate is adaptable, proactive, embraces technology, and possesses the initiative to identify and resolve issues.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in production scheduling, production planning, production control, manufacturing scheduling, or a related manufacturing role.
Experience working in a manufacturing environment.
Strong understanding of production scheduling, manufacturing routings, work centers, setup times, run times, capacity, and production constraints.
Experience using ERP or MRP systems to manage production.
Strong Microsoft Excel and analytical skills.
Ability to analyze production requirements and convert them into clear production priorities.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to manage changing priorities while maintaining control of the overall production plan.
Demonstrated ability to take ownership of problems and drive them through resolution.
Ability to work effectively with both shop-floor employees and company leadership.
Willingness to learn new processes, systems, technologies, and manufacturing requirements.
Strong initiative and a willingness to put in the work necessary to improve processes and results.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and evolving technology.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing or job-shop environment.
Experience scheduling CNC machining, grinding, turning, milling, or other precision manufacturing operations.
Experience developing or improving a production scheduling system.
Experience with capacity planning or finite-capacity scheduling.
Experience with NetSuite or a similar manufacturing ERP/MRP system.
Experience with outside processing and multi-operation manufacturing routings.
Experience developing scheduling dashboards, capacity planning tools, production boards, or visual production management systems.
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Business, or a related field.
Equivalent manufacturing experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

Own and maintain the production schedule for the manufacturing facility.
Develop and maintain a structured, visible scheduling system that clearly communicates production priorities.
Establish daily and weekly production priorities while maintaining rough-cut production plans several months into the future.
Schedule production considering customer requirements, capacity, material availability, machine availability, labor, tooling, outside processing, and other manufacturing constraints.
Monitor production progress against the schedule and adjust priorities as conditions change.
Maintain visibility of late orders and orders at risk of becoming late.
Identify capacity constraints, bottlenecks, and potential delivery risks before they impact customers.
Communicate schedule changes clearly and quickly to affected personnel.
Work closely with supervisors and shop-floor employees to ensure the production schedule reflects actual operating conditions.
Coordinate with Sales when customer priorities or delivery requirements change.
Work with Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Operations, and other departments to resolve issues preventing production.
Manage expedited work and changing priorities while minimizing unnecessary disruption to production.
Provide leadership with clear visibility into production status, upcoming workload, constraints, and delivery risks.
Help improve the accuracy of production routings, standard times, capacity information, and other scheduling data.
Develop and improve production reports, dashboards, production boards, and other visual management tools.
Continuously evaluate the production scheduling process and identify opportunities for improvement.