Senior Production Planner

JAPS-OLSON COMPANY, LLC • Saint Louis Park, MN

4d • $86,000 - $108,000

About The Position

The Senior Production Planner leads complex scheduling efforts, capacity planning, and workflow optimization for direct mail production. This role serves as a strategic partner to operations leadership, providing insights on cost control, efficiency gains, and long-term resource planning. The Senior Planner also mentors junior team members and supports broader operational initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in operations management, business administration, or related field; or equivalent work experience in lieu of a degree.
• 5+ years of experience in production planning, with demonstrated leadership or high-level planning responsibilities.
• Advanced planning and organizational skills with a strategic, forward-thinking approach.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Deep experience with ERP systems and operational reporting tools.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, capable of effectively communicating with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Proven track record of managing complex workflows and tight deadlines with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Solid understanding of business dynamics and customer needs.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in printing, direct mail, or manufacturing highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning for all projects by maintaining the Master Capacity Planner (MCP) and developing the master production schedule.
• Convert production schedule into time-phased loads by department while balancing machine hours, crews, shifts, and overtime to minimize changeovers, bottlenecks, and costs while keeping jobs on time.
• Develop and maintain a rolling production forecast integrating sales pipeline data, upcoming campaigns, and recurring program patterns.
• Use the SIOP process with a 45-day view to analyze material needs based on forecasted demand and coordinate with Purchasing and Warehouse to ensure availability.
• Collaborate across functional teams to resolve schedule conflicts, improve throughput, and support KPIs.
• Analyze labor, equipment, and material costs to support operational decision-making.
• Coach and mentor production planners; standardize planning processes where possible.
• Provide reporting on performance metrics, schedule adherence, and improvement opportunities to senior leadership.
• Additional duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees