PRODUCTION PLANNER

Department: Operations

Reports To: Operations Executive

Employment Type: Full-Time

Job Summary

The Production Planner is responsible for developing and maintaining production schedules in an assembly manufacturing environment, ensuring materials, capacity, and manpower align to meet delivery commitments. This role works closely with production, procurement, warehouse, and quality teams, using the ERP system to plan, track, and adjust production activities in real time.

Key Responsibilities

Production Scheduling

• Prepare and maintain daily/weekly/monthly production schedules based on sales orders, forecasts, and available capacity.

• Sequence production orders across assembly lines to optimize throughput and minimize changeover time.

• Monitor actual production output against plan and adjust schedules for deviations.

• Coordinate with production supervisors on manpower, machine availability, and shift planning.

• Re-plan schedules in response to machine downtime, material shortages, engineering changes, or urgent orders.

• Support pilot runs and scheduling for new product introductions (NPI).

Material & Capacity Planning

• Run and analyze MRP (Material Requirements Planning) to determine material needs against the production plan.

• Work with procurement to flag shortages, expedite critical materials, and align delivery timelines with the schedule.

• Assess capacity constraints (machine, labor, tooling) and escalate bottlenecks proactively.

• Maintain accurate BOM (Bill of Materials) and routing data in coordination with engineering.

• Balance load across lines/work centers to avoid overloading or underutilization.

ERP System Management

• Create, update, and release production/process orders in the ERP system.

• Maintain accurate master data (BOMs, routings, work centers, planning parameters) in the ERP.

• Generate and interpret ERP planning reports (MRP results, order status, capacity reports) to guide decisions.

• Investigate and resolve planning-related system errors or data discrepancies.

• Support ERP upgrades, enhancements, and UAT (user acceptance testing) related to planning modules.

Coordination & Reporting

• Prepare daily production and planning status reports for the Operations Executive and management.

• Participate in daily production meetings, providing schedule and material availability updates.

• Coordinate with quality and maintenance teams to resolve issues affecting the plan.

• Escalate critical risks (material shortages, capacity constraints, schedule slippage) to the Operations Executive in a timely manner.

• Support continuous improvement initiatives (Lean/Kaizen) related to planning efficiency.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree/Diploma in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field

• Experience: 2–4 years in production planning/scheduling in an assembly or manufacturing environment

• Systems: Hands-on experience with an ERP preferably SAP.

• Tools: Proficient in MS Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables).

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of MRP logic, BOM structures, and capacity planning

• Analytical mindset with strong attention to detail

• Ability to prioritize and re-plan quickly under changing conditions

• Good cross-functional communication and coordination skills

• Comfortable working under pressure with tight deadlines

• Knowledge of Lean/Kaizen/5S practices is an advantage

• Basic understanding of quality systems (ISO 13485) preferred

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key Performance Indicator. Target Focus

Production plan adherence (%) Schedule accuracy

On-time delivery of production orders Delivery performance

Material availability against schedule Material readiness

Schedule change/re-plan frequency and resolution time Responsiveness

Planning report accuracy and timeliness Reporting quality