Position Summary
The Production Scheduler is responsible for developing, communicating, and maintaining an effective production schedule that meets customer demand while optimizing plant capacity, labor, and inventory levels. This role works closely with Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, and Leadership to ensure schedule achievement, capacity alignment, and continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment .
Key Responsibilities
- Review customer demand and develop detailed part-number level production schedules by work center for the plant
- Communicate production schedules clearly to operations and monitor performance against plan
- Forecast direct labor requirements based on customer demand, routings, and labor standards within the ERP system
- Establish and monitor finished goods (FG) and work-in-process (WIP) safety stock levels based on the plant's demonstrated ability to achieve schedule
- Own and maintain the plant “achievement to schedule” metric, ensuring leadership alignment on targets and execution plans to achieve a minimum of 85%
- Analyze customer forecasts versus quoted and available capacities; proactively identify and communicate capacity overages and risks to the Supply Chain Manager
- Support the engineering change process as required, including schedule adjustments and coordination with cross-functional teams
- Collaborate with the Supply Chain Management (SCM) team to achieve departmental targets, goals, and continuous improvement objectives
- Participate in cross-functional meetings to support production planning, problem-solving, and operational excellence
- Perform other related duties as assigned
Experience & Education
- Minimum of 2 years' experience in a Supply Chain, Scheduling, or Production Planning role (leadership experience preferred)
- Experience scheduling in an automotive manufacturing environment strongly preferred
- College degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related field preferred, but not required
Required Skills & Competencies
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and influence performance without direct reporting authority
- Strong analytical and decision-making capabilities
- Proven ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Forward-thinking planner with strong organizational and time-management skills
- Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional, multi-team environment
Technical & Functional Knowledge
- Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, production planning, and capacity management concepts
- Experience with shop-floor efficiency calculations and performance metrics
- Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles (e.g., SMED, TPM, Kanban)
- ERP system experience required; QAD MFG/PRO strongly preferred
- Kanban system experience a plus
- APICS certification (CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent) a plus