Production Planner
Summary
Coordinates production schedules and inventory for fiber-optic products to meet customer demand in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
The Production Planner is the primary owner of and is responsible for developing and maintaining production schedules and finished goods inventory plans that balance customer demand, manufacturing capacity, and inventory objectives. This role is critical to ensuring the on-time delivery of high-quality fiber optic products supporting the fast-growing hyperscale and AI data center market. Working cross-functionally with Sales, Manufacturing, Product Management, Customer Service, Warehouse, and Logistics, the Production Planner coordinates production priorities and inventory strategies to meet customer requirements while optimizing operational efficiency. The ideal candidate has experience in manufacturing planning, inventory management, and cross-functional collaboration within a fast-paced technology manufacturing environment.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and maintain production & delivery schedules based on customer demand, sales forecasts, inventory levels, and manufacturing capacity.
- Monitor finished goods inventory to support quick-turn customer demand while maintaining targeted inventory levels and minimizing excess stock.
- Coordinate closely with Manufacturing, Customer Service, Purchasing, and Warehouse & Logistics to ensure production readiness and on-time order fulfillment.
- Analyze customer demand trends and sales forecasts to prioritize production orders and respond to changing business requirements.
- Identify material shortages, capacity constraints, and supply risks; develop recovery plans to minimize customer impact.
- Track production performance against schedule and communicate risks or delays to stakeholders.
- Maintain accurate planning parameters, lead times, safety stock levels, and other required master data within the ERP system.
- Participate in Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and weekly operations/planning meetings.
- Drive continuous improvements in planning accuracy, inventory turns, schedule adherence, and on-time delivery.
- Develop reports and dashboards to monitor key performance metrics.