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Senior Production Planner

SUMMARY: The Senior Production Planner III is responsible for leading advanced production planning and scheduling activities to ensure optimal material flow, on-time delivery, and efficient use of manufacturing resources. This role develops and executes production plans aligned with customer demand, capacity constraints, and inventory targets while driving continuous improvement across planning processes.

The Senior Production Planner III collaborates cross-functionally with operations, supply chain, procurement, engineering, quality, and finance to balance demand and supply, mitigate risks, and resolve complex planning challenges. This position serves as a subject matter expert in ERP/MRP systems (prefer Epicor E10), capacity planning, forecasting, and inventory management, and may mentor junior planners.

Key responsibilities include developing master production schedules, analyzing capacity and material constraints, managing work order priorities, driving inventory optimization initiatives, supporting S&OP processes, and ensuring adherence to company policies and regulatory requirements. The role requires strong analytical skills, data-driven decision-making, and the ability to influence stakeholders at multiple levels of the organization. Commitment to and support of the Company Core Values are key to success in this position.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, maintain, and execute the Master Production Schedule (MPS) to meet customer demand and on-time delivery targets.
• Translate forecasts and customer orders into detailed production and work order plans.
• Balance demand and supply while considering capacity, labor, tooling, and material constraints.
• Monitor schedule adherence and adjust plans to address changes in demand, shortages, or production issues.
• Prioritize and release work orders in alignment with business objectives.
• Lead planning activities for new product launches from development through production ramp-up.
• Partner with Engineering, Program Management, Supply Chain, and Operations to ensure material readiness, capacity availability, and schedule alignment for NPI programs.
• Validate BOMs, routings, lead times, and planning parameters prior to production release.
• Develop ramp-up plans and transition strategies from prototype to full-rate production.
• Identify supply chain and production risks during NPI and implement mitigation plans.
• Support first article builds, pilot runs, and customer milestone schedules.
• Ensure ERP/MRP system setup is accurate and aligned with program timelines.
• Perform capacity planning and load analysis to ensure efficient utilization of equipment and labor.
• Identify bottlenecks and recommend corrective actions to mitigate risks.
• Coordinate with manufacturing leadership to align production schedules with available resources.
• Partner with procurement and supply chain to ensure material availability and resolve shortages.
• Analyze inventory levels and drive initiatives to optimize inventory turns while preventing stockouts.
• Review MRP outputs and validate planning parameters for accuracy.
• Work closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Sales, and Program Management to support production and customer commitments.
• Participate in Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and demand planning meetings.
• Communicate risks, schedule impacts, and mitigation strategies to stakeholders.
• Track and report KPIs such as on-time delivery (OTD), schedule attainment, inventory turns, NPI milestone adherence, and forecast accuracy.
• Analyze variances between planned and actual production performance.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to improve planning effectiveness.
• Lead and support process improvement initiatives related to planning, scheduling, NPI execution, and system optimization.
• Improve ERP/MRP data integrity including BOMs, routings, lead times, and safety stock parameters.
• Develop and document standard work procedures for planning processes.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in production planning and ERP/MRP systems.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior planners.
• Support training efforts and promote best practices within the planning team.
• Identify supply chain and production risks and develop contingency plans.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory standards, and customer requirements.
• Support audits and reporting requirements as needed.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Successful accomplishment of duties and responsibilities may require the following:

• APICS-CPIM 3 of 5 modules completed
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong knowledge of purchasing and planning principles and procedures.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems. Epicor a plus.
• Able to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, supply chain management or related field which can be substituted with commensurate experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in material, demand, and production planning preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to speak and understand basic safety and manufacturing instructions.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers. Ability to multiply and divide with 10’s and 100’s.

REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: Authorization to work in the United States. To conform to U.S. export control regulations, you should be eligible for any required authorizations from the U.S. Government.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to stand, walk, and hear. The Team Member frequently is required to use hands and fingers; handle, feel, and reach with hands and arms. The Team Member is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and smell. The Team Member must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environments characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the Team Member is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts. The Team Member may be exposed to a hot and/or cold work environment, chemicals, fumes or airborne particles, loud noises, risk of electrical shock and vibration and/or other occupational hazards; personal protective equipment may be required.

NOTE: This job description identifies the general nature and scope of work to be performed. Vitesse Systems, LLC. reserves the right to revise all or any part of this job description and to add or eliminate essential job functions at any time. Designation of any job duty as an essential function is not intended as an assurance or guarantee that a team member has any right to perform the particular job duty, except as required by Vitesse Systems, LLC. This job description is subject to change based on the needs of the position and/or the Company.

Vitesse Systems, LLC performs work controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). These statutes require the protection of technical data and products. The regulations require that such data not be disclosed in written, oral, or visual form to any foreign national without prior export authorization from the Department of State. A foreign national is defined by the U.S. Government under EAR 734.2(b)(2)(ii) and 8 USC 110 (a)(20) as one who:

• Is not a United States citizen
• Is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the U.S.
• Does not have politically protected status (embassy, refugee, or asylum)
• Has dual U.S. / foreign citizenship

Vitesse Systems, LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Veterans / Disabled Employer