Ninkasi Brewery

The Production Planning & Support Strategist will have the core responsibility of creating and maintaining a weekly master production schedule. This position will work closely with production leadership, supply chain, revenue to build the weekly production schedules, ensure optimal inventory levels of finished goods, and making adjustments to inventory and production strategies to prevent overstocking and stockouts. They will also perform general administrative duties of the Brewing, Cellar, Quality, and Packaging departments. Typical hours will be Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm but may require occasional after-hours and weekend work to support production demands. This position is onsite and not eligible for remote work.
At Great Frontier Beverages (GFB)/Ninkasi, we take our core values very seriously. All team members are expected to embrace and embody these values every day:

• One team
• Quality output in everything we do
• Creative pursuit of mastery
• Integrity in our actions
• Successful integration of work and life

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Weekly production schedule:

• Provide timely delivery of an accurate and efficient production and repack schedule that maximizes worker safety, ensures product quality, and minimizes waste while meeting the production orders from the supply chain long-term forecast
• Develop and ensure the master production schedule is executed based on projected forecasts.
• Communicate frequently with Supply Chain team to maintain appropriate buffer inventory and appropriate average age of finished goods at time of sale.
• Repack Schedule
  • Train and oversee contract workers on the management and publication of the weekly repack schedule
  • Train team members, as directed, in the use of new tools (software)
  • Oversee publication of the Repack Schedule, work orders and warehouse orders

Inventory-level management:

• Communicate frequently with Supply Chain team to maintain appropriate buffer inventory and appropriate average age of finished goods at time of sale.
• Analyze sales, inventory, and production trends to identify and implement actions that increase order fill-rates, reduce on-hand inventory levels, reduce product age, and reduce wasted product or labor.
• Communicate between production and warehouse/purchasing for required raw materials.
• Ensure production-related inventory of supplies and equipment is accurate.
• Manage and publish work orders and warehouse orders to meet demand and maintain healthy inventory levels.

Administrative support:

• Lead daily and weekly production schedule meeting as well as attend various meetings as required.

• Assist with writing and editing documents such as letters, reports, and instructional documents.
• Create and maintain support documentation logs/charts.
• Maintain electronic/physical filing systems with a high degree of accuracy and organization.
• Maintain records such as packaging run rates, transfer yields and transfer times to optimize schedule and material reliability
• Assist with improvement/maintenance/data management associated with Ninkasi's ERP.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Top Level KPI's:

• Schedule accuracy: 99%
• OTIF: Company demands determine percentage

Desired Minimum Qualifications
Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent (required)
• 4-yr degree or certifications in brewing or related technology (preferred)

Experience:

• Previous experience with logistics/scheduling
• Experience with NetSuite or similar ERP (preferred)
• 2+ years' experience in brewing industry; previous experience with logistics/scheduling (preferred)
• Detailed working knowledge of production processes and general facility systems & procedures
• Advanced/expert user of Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to troubleshoot and constructively solve problems
• Demonstrated effective listening through concise, clear verbal, and written communication
• A positive attitude and creative problem-solving abilities are paramount!

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit for extended periods of time. Additionally, the essential duties of this job may require the Production Support Specialist to stand, walk, kneel, crouch, climb stairs, visually count objects and talk or hear.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may he made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is moderate most of the time but at times may be loud when moving through active production areas.