Job Summary

The Production Planner 2 plays a pivotal role within the Texarkana, TX Lone Star muinitions site, managing SAP-driven demand, supply, and production planning processes with autonomy for assigned site operations or complex contract arrangements. This critical position ensures the seamless alignment of production schedules with material availability, Work In Progress (WIP), and inventory levels, maintaining business objectives such as the 45-day production schedule balance. With a keen analytical eye, the planner addresses period-end reconciliation matters, navigates planning exceptions, and guides cross-functional teams including Operations, Quality, Procurement, Inventory, and Finance. This role demands a strategic thinker capable of collaborative problem solving and decisive prioritization to support the organization's manufacturing efficiency and delivery commitments. This position offers an opportunity to influence operational excellence and inventory control within a dynamic industrial environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and sustain comprehensive production and material plans tailored for specific site operations and intricate contract requirements, continuously evaluating scheduling demands, WIP, inventory volumes, and material accessibility to set actionable priorities and mitigate risks.
• Oversee SAP planning administration encompassing contracts, Bills of Materials (BOMs), routings, work centers, manufacturing confirmations, and daily production logs; conduct detailed reviews of transaction data, investigate irregularities, and direct necessary corrective actions essential for accurate period closure and reporting.
• Collaborate closely with Procurement teams to accurately forecast material procurement needs, prioritize requisitions, and proactively resolve supplier or lead-time challenges that might impact production timelines and inventory targets, ensuring uninterrupted workflow.
• Lead monthly inventory reconciliation processes within assigned sectors, orchestrating count validation activities, performing variance analyses, and instituting strategic adjustments to synchronize inventory records with production forecasts and lot scheduling. Additionally, undertake specialized production and materials planning administrative duties and spearhead improvement initiatives targeted at enhancing planning processes and operational efficiencies.
• Facilitate and direct production planning meetings among key stakeholders from Operations, Quality, Inventory, Procurement, and Finance, delivering essential guidance on planning risks, establishing priorities, and enabling informed decision-making to uphold punctual delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in SAP planning procedures; provide training and mentorship to peers and counterparts, conduct periodic reviews of planning methodologies, and propose process enhancements to ensure compliance, accuracy, and continuous improvement in planning activities.

KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Comprehensive expertise in SAP production planning and materials management systems, with demonstrated ability to navigate complex functionalities and transactions.
• Deep understanding of demand and production planning principles, effective scheduling techniques, forecasting models, inventory control mechanisms, and overall materials management practices in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven capacity to exercise sound judgment and discretion when prioritizing planning activities, executing inventory adjustments, and resolving multifaceted cross-departmental challenges, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in problem-solving approaches, augmented by excellent communication abilities to facilitate collaboration across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, including advanced capabilities in Excel for data analysis and reporting purposes.
• Skilled in delivering training sessions and providing constructive feedback, along with a proactive mindset to identify and recommend process improvements fostering operational excellence.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) is required as the foundational educational credential.
• Associate’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, or related fields is preferred, signifying relevant academic knowledge and commitment to the profession.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Arts or Sciences with an emphasis on Business, Supply Chain, or Operations studies is advantageous and highly regarded.
• At least seven years of professional experience in production operations, material and production planning, inventory control, procurement, or related supply chain functions is preferred; candidates with hands-on experience in resolving intricate planning and inventory discrepancies, including SAP transaction issues, will have a competitive edge.

Essential Functions

• Visual acuity (e.g., needed to prepare and analyze data, to transcribe documents, to view a computer, to read, to inspect objects, to operate machinery
• Balancing (e.g., maintaining equilibrium when walking, climbing, crouching etc.)
• Manual Dexterity (e.g., picking, pinching, typing, or other working that uses the fingers)
• Stooping (e.g., bending the spine at the waist)
• Reaching (e.g., reaching the arms or legs in any direction)
• Walking
• Hearing
• Repetitive motions of any part of the body
• Talking
• Kneeling, crouching or crawling
• Capacity to think, concentrate and focus over long periods of time
• Ability to write complex documents in the [English] language
• Ability to read complex documents in [English] language
• Capacity to express thoughts orally (e.g., accurately, quick and loudly convey spoken instructions to workers)
• Capacity to reason and make sound decisions
• Ability to withstand environmental conditions (e.g., extreme heat or cold, grass, wind, sand, fumes, odors, gases, extreme noise, etc.)
• Other

Compensation and Benefits

Candidates may be required to satisfy additional job-related requirements, including those established and controlled by third parties, as part of the selection process.

In compliance with this state’s pay transparency laws, the wage range for this role is $61,200 - $91,800. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. (The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements).

We care about our employees and it shows. Our staff receive a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical/Rx, dental and vision coverage; life, AD&D and disability insurance; flexible spending accounts; 100% paid maternity leave for up to 12 weeks, parental leave, family leave, other paid time off; voluntary benefits and discount programs to meet our employees’ individual needs including pet insurance for our furry family members!