Schedule manufacturing site Production units, and support equipment for a specific manufacturing operation, in a manner that covers sales orders with expected service levels and to meet internal needs with the lowest possible inventory and cost.  While this position reports to a central MPS the person has a dotted line reporting relationship to the mill manager and actively participates in mill leadership meetings.

Production Unit Scheduling

• Demonstrate high energy and urgency in a fast pace environment to resolve issues quickly
• Firming, converting and releasing of production orders to meet inventory targets and customer orders
• Follow-up and close monitoring of exceptions and critical /rush orders
• Partner with operations to enable the mill to meet stated production and service metrics
• Collaborate with operations to minimize unit changeovers and maximize their efficiencies 
• Use work-related software (JDE/VCP) to their fullest capabilities 
• Plans and establishes production schedules to meet customer service level agreements (SLA’s)
• Develop production schedules that minimize both operational and transportation costs while meeting customer delivery deadlines
• Communicate clearly to the appropriate parties about deviations and delays to the schedule and customer orders

 
Inventory Management

• Work with packaging buyers and paper planners to review raw materials inventories to ensure that they are available for current schedules and if necessary help develop a plan to obtain the needed raw material
• Responsible for notifying packaging buyers, paper planners, customer service and transportation of schedule changes within the locked period
• Release product transfers daily to the appropriate warehouses
• Responsible for reviewing and monitoring the inventory health report.  Takes action as needed to keep inventory in a healthy range

 
Other duties

• Schedule outside converting and perform the associated transactions, as needed
• Balances customer service needs with operational efficiencies
• Attend operations meetings to review schedules and participates as an active member of the mill leadership team
• Coordinate and lead meetings with production departments, deployment planner and customer service representatives regarding production schedules and to mitigate issues
• Provide backup and vacation relief for other planning department positions
• Actively drive and participate in continuous improvement activities

Required education and related experience:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Material Management or Operations Management
• Two to five years’ experience in manufacturing, preferably with a production planning  / purchasing / projects or order management background
• Demonstrated understanding of the demand triggers in manufacturing and their interdependencies (sales, production, work orders)
• Demonstrated knowledge of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, preferably JDE/Oracle and understanding of master data in an integrated system

Skills and Abilities (technical/professional skills, expertise and qualifications):

• Must have the ability to communicate and interface effectively with internal work groups
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills required
• Highly motivated and results-oriented with ability to work under pressure
• Team player, positive attitude, excellent initiative and problem solving abilities
• Proven analytical thinker; shows ability to analyze complex and sometimes conflicting data in order to reach logical conclusions
• Strong organizational skills and proven ability to multiple tasks simultaneously

Illustrative Essential Functions:

• Primarily office environment
• Keyboarding; long periods of sitting and viewing computer monitor
• Must wear required Personal Protective Equipment in the manufacturing environment