Associate Inventory Planner Jobs in Missouri (NOW HIRING)

This opportunity is located within our AFB International business, the global science and technology leader in pet food palatability. We develop and produce a full range of liquid and dry palatability enhancers using high-quality ingredients proven to optimize companion animal response and consumption.

Job Description

• Annual incentive/bonus program based on individual and company performance.
• "Pay for performance" annual merit increases.
• 401(k) with company matching building your financial future together.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family's well-being.
• Annual wellness credit of $600 -$1200 paid directly to employees for completing wellness activities throughout the year.
• Paid time off including vacation, 11 paid company holidays, and 2 floating holidays, plus accrued sick time.
• Company Paid Parental Leave for new parents. Birth parents receive 12 weeks paid leave and non-birth parents receive 6 weeks paid leave.
• Company paid short-term and long-term disability.
• Tuition reimbursement program.
• Employee uniforms and safety shoes provided-your safety and comfort are our priority.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Maintenance Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, maintain, and optimize maintenance schedules to support proactive maintenance strategies.

• Develop and update PM procedures to enhance equipment reliability and maintenance efficiency.
• Prioritize maintenance tasks based on criticality, urgency, and operational impact.
• Ensure necessary parts, tools, and resources are available prior to scheduling maintenance work.
• Assign appropriate technicians based on skill sets, availability, and workload distribution.
• Coordinate with production teams to schedule maintenance activities during planned downtimes.
• Ensure work orders are properly prioritized, resourced, and executed efficiently.
• Continuously refine and enhance PMs and WOs based on feedback from maintenance technicians.
• Collaborate with maintenance supervisors and technicians to reduce reactive maintenance and improve planned work execution.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors for services including lawn care, snow removal, trash service, fuel delivery, etc.

Storeroom & Inventory Management

• Oversee storeroom operations to maintain optimal inventory levels of critical spare parts and components.
• Define, monitor, and adjust min/max inventory levels to ensure timely reordering and prevent stockouts.
• Track the issuance and usage of parts, maintaining accurate inventory records in the CMMS.
• Implement and maintain 5S principles within the storeroom to promote organization, cleanliness, and efficiency.
• Kit parts for planned PMs and WOs to enhance maintenance workflow.
• Conduct routine cycle counts and physical inventory audits to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Process purchase requisitions, track purchase orders, and complete purchase order receipts to ensure the integrity of the ERP system.
• Collaborate with procurement and vendors to ensure timely delivery of required parts, materials and services.

CMMS Utilization & Performance Reporting

• Leverage CMMS to track maintenance activities, analyze trends, and generate reports.
• Monitor and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs), including work completion rates, backlog levels, equipment downtime, and parts usage.
• Provide regular maintenance reports to key stakeholders.
• Use CMMS data insights to optimize maintenance planning, scheduling, and inventory management strategies.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Work closely with production, maintenance, and engineering teams to align maintenance initiatives with operational goals.
• Communicate scheduling plans and updates to minimize production disruptions.
• Support reliability initiatives by identifying recurring equipment issues and implementing corrective actions.
• Assist in the development and implementation of maintenance best practices and continuous improvement projects.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure all maintenance activities adhere to safety regulations, company policies, and industry best practices.
• Maintain accurate documentation to support audits and regulatory compliance.
• Participate in root cause analysis (RCA) investigations for equipment failures and safety incidents.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position will not have direct reports.

Qualifications & Experience

• Associate's degree in industrial maintenance or a related field; or equivalent technical training and experience. Prefer experience within the food, flavor or feed industries. Experience in a SQF-certified (or similar) manufacturing environment is strongly desired.
• Experience in maintenance planning, scheduling, or storeroom management within an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems.
• Proficiency in CMMS software and maintenance planning methodologies.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of safety practices applicable to a production environment and ability to follow designated safety procedures.

• Ability to maintain accurate records relating to jobs as they are planned, performed and completed. Skill to use electronic means for recording data.
• Proficient skill level in MS Office Applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams
• Knowledge of food product manufacturing equipment including but not limited to meat grinders, extrusion machines, spray dryers, and dry blend equipment is highly desired. Previous experience with food safety programs, including HACCP and cGMPs is beneficial.

AFB International is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status.