Master Planner

Master Planner — KNT Inc

Department: Production Planning / Operations Reports To: Operations Manager / Production Manager Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Master Planner to lead production scheduling and materials planning for our CNC machining operation. This role owns the master production schedule, coordinates capacity across machines and work centers, and ensures on-time delivery while balancing efficiency, tooling, and material availability. The ideal candidate has deep hands-on planning experience in a machine shop or precision manufacturing environment and can be trusted to keep the shop floor running smoothly with minimal oversight.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and continuously adjust the master production schedule across all CNC machines and work centers
• Balance customer due dates, machine capacity, tooling availability, and material lead times to optimize throughput
• Coordinate closely with Purchasing, Programming, Quality, and Shop Floor Supervisors to prevent bottlenecks and late deliveries
• Monitor work-in-process (WIP) and adjust priorities in response to rush orders, machine downtime, or material delays
• Analyze job routings, cycle times, and machine utilization to identify scheduling inefficiencies and recommend improvements
• Maintain accurate data in ERP/MRP systems (job status, due dates, capacity, inventory) and build supporting reports/dashboards in Excel
• Track and report key metrics: on-time delivery %, machine utilization, schedule adherence, and backlog
• Lead or participate in daily production meetings, communicating schedule changes and risks to stakeholders
• Support new job quoting/onboarding by estimating capacity impact and realistic lead times
• Identify and resolve material shortages, tooling conflicts, or scheduling conflicts before they impact production
• Continuously improve planning processes, templates, and tools to increase scheduling accuracy and visibility

Required Qualifications

• 5–10 years of hands-on production planning/scheduling experience in a CNC machining, precision manufacturing, or job shop environment
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required — must be proficient with formulas, pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data analysis, and building scheduling/tracking tools
• Proven track record of successfully managing complex, multi-job production schedules with demonstrable results (e.g., improved on-time delivery, reduced downtime, better capacity utilization)
• Strong working knowledge of CNC machining processes, tooling, materials, and typical shop floor operations
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., JobBOSS, E2, Epicor, or similar)
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage shifting priorities under tight deadlines
• Strong communication skills to coordinate with key functional departments
• Ability to read blueprints, routings, and job travelers
• Formal education not required — significant, demonstrated hands-on experience and results will be considered in place of a college degree

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a high-mix, low-to-medium volume machining environment
• APICS/CPIM certification or equivalent planning credential (a plus, not required)
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement practices
• Experience building custom Excel-based planning/reporting tools when ERP capabilities fall short

Pay: $90,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person