Production Planner

Ventek Solutions (Ventek) is a leading manufacturer specializing in engineered shape molded foam components, protective packaging, and multi-material assembly solutions. The organization helps customers address complex challenges in product protection, component light-weighting, insulation, and design simplification. Ventek’s services span a variety of industries, including construction, automotive, electronics, medical, and more. Ventek Solutions leverages creative design, thoughtful engineering, and meticulous program management to deliver customized solutions. Ventek operates 9 plants in the US and Mexico with corporate headquarters in Charleston, SC.

In 2024, Black Diamond Capital Management acquired the Protective Solutions segment of Sonoco Products Company, rebranding the business as Ventek Solutions LLC. This acquisition encompassed the existing manufacturing footprint along with the embedded design engineering, program management, and commercial resources. As Ventek Solutions, we are dedicated to maintaining our advanced capabilities in creative design, thoughtful engineering, meticulous program management, operational excellence, and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.

The Production Planner will work onsite Mon-Friday at our Shelbyville, KY plant. The role will plan and schedule all production activity to meet customer demand and plant efficiency goals, while ensuring raw material and consumable availability through ordering and kanban management, accurately maintaining production and inventory records, and supporting month-end inventory true-up processes.

Production Scheduling

• Develop and maintain the master production schedule across all molding presses/lines and secondary operations based on customer demand, order due dates, and capacity
• Sequence production runs to minimize changeover time while meeting on-time delivery targets
• Adjust the schedule in real time to account for breakdowns, material shortages, quality holds, or rush orders
• Communication schedule changes clearly and promptly to production, maintenance, and warehouse teams
• Balance mold availability, press capacity, and labor/shift coverage when building the schedule
• Monitor schedule attainment and flag risks to on-time delivery to plant leadership
• Coordinate with sales/customer service on order changes, expedites, and delivery commitments
• Support new product/mold launches by scheduling trial runs and initial production ramp-up

Raw & Consumable Material Ordering

• Determine raw material requirements (resin/beads, packaging, additives) based on the production schedule and lead times
• Place purchase orders for raw materials and consumables, ensuring adequate supply without excess inventory
• Monitor supplier lead times and delivery performance; escalate risks to on-time material availability
• Coordinate with purchasing/procurement on pricing, supplier issues, and alternate sourcing when needed
• Adjust order quantities and timing based on schedule changes, demand shifts, or supplier constraints

Inventory & Create Kanban Management

• Create and maintain kanban systems for raw materials, consumables, and WIP to ensure appropriate min/max levels at point of use
• Regularly audit kanban bins/cards and adjust trigger points based on actual usage and lead time changes
• Partner with production and warehouse teams to ensure kanban replenishment signals are followed correctly
• Maintain accurate inventory locations and cycle count support for raw materials, consumables, and finished goods as needed

Production Data Entry & Reporting

• Enter production run data (quantities produced, scrap, downtime, material consumption) into the ERP/MRP or production tracking system accurately and on schedule
• Reconcile production entries against the schedule and investigate discrepancies
• Maintain accurate bills of material (BOMs) and routing data in the system in coordination with engineering
• Generate regular reports on schedule attainment, production output, and material usage for plant leadership

Month-End Inventory True-Up

• Support month-end physical inventory counts and cycle counts for raw materials, WIP, and finished goods
• Reconcile physical inventory counts against system quantities and investigate variances
• Post inventory adjustments and true-up entries in the ERP system per established accounting procedures
• Work with finance/accounting to explain significant inventory variances and support root cause resolution
• Ensure production and material consumption transactions are complete and accurate prior to month-end close
• Identify and correct recurring sources of inventory variance (e.g., unrecorded scrap, mis-issued materials, uncounted consumables)

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with production supervisors to align the schedule with real-time floor conditions
• Coordinate with the Maintenance Manager on planned downtime, PM schedules, and equipment availability affecting the schedule
• Partner with quality on hold/release of material affecting scheduling or inventory
• Support continuous improvement efforts related to scheduling accuracy, material flow, and inventory control

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in production scheduling, planning, or materials management, preferably in a manufacturing environment
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems for scheduling, purchasing, and inventory
• Strong Excel skills; comfort working with data to plan and troubleshoot schedule/material issues
• Understanding of kanban/pull-based inventory systems and lean manufacturing principles
• Basic understanding of inventory accounting concepts (cycle counts, variances, true-ups)
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Clear communicator, comfortable coordinating across production, purchasing, maintenance, and finance
• Molding, plastics, or process manufacturing experience a plus

Key Performance Indicators

• Schedule attainment / on-time delivery
• Raw material and consumable stockout incidents
• Inventory accuracy (system vs. physical counts)
• Month-end inventory variance ($ and %)
• Changeover frequency/time relative to schedule efficiency