About this role
Position Summary
The Planner/Scheduler Lead is responsible for developing, releasing, and maintaining production schedules that meet customer delivery commitments while optimizing capacity and material utilization across the shop floor. Working within Oracle EBS, this individual translates MRP signals and customer orders into actionable work orders, coordinates with purchasing and operations to resolve constraints, and drives on-time delivery performance in a fast-paced metal fabrication environment.
Key Responsibilities
Production Planning & Scheduling
- Develop and maintain short- and medium-range production schedules using Oracle EBS (Work in Process, MRP/MPS) to support customer order commitments.
- Release work orders to the floor with correct routings, BOM revisions, and due dates; adjust in real time as priorities shift.
- Conduct daily capacity checks against available labor and machine time; identify and communicate bottlenecks to operations leadership.
- Execute MRP runs; evaluate planned order recommendations and convert or reschedule as appropriate.
- Maintain accurate scheduling data in EBS including work center capacities, lead times, and routing sequences.
Material Coordination
- Collaborate with purchasing to ensure raw material (plate, tube, structural steel, hardware) is available to support the schedule without excess inventory buildup.
- Monitor and expedite critical shortages; coordinate material substitutions with engineering when required.
- Track component and sub-assembly completions against schedule; escalate deviations promptly.
Cross-Functional Communication
- Serve as the primary point of contact between sales/customer service and operations for delivery date commitments and order status updates.
- Participate in daily production meetings; communicate schedule changes and their impact clearly to shop supervision and department leads.
- Work with quality and engineering on non-conforming material dispositions that affect schedule integrity.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify scheduling and planning process gaps; recommend and implement improvements to increase schedule attainment and reduce lead time variability.
- Support lean initiatives including 5S, visual management of the schedule, and reduction of WIP.
- Maintain and improve key planning metrics: schedule attainment, on-time delivery, and inventory turns.
Qualifications
Qualifications
Required
- 3+ years of production planning or scheduling experience in a metal fabrication, job shop, or similar discrete manufacturing environment.
- Hands-on experience with Oracle EBS, specifically Work in Process (WIP), Inventory, Order Management, and MRP/MPS modules.
- Solid understanding of fabrication processes including cutting, forming, welding, and finishing operations.
- Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and make sound scheduling decisions under time pressure.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic formulas).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting schedule status to management.
- Prior experience providing informal leadership, work direction, or lead-hand responsibilities to a production crew.
- Ability to read and interpret shop drawings, work order traveler packets, and assembly instructions to direct crew work accurately.
- Working knowledge of metal fabrication safety requirements including lockout/tagout, PPE standards, and safe material handling practices.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain crew focus and productivity during schedule disruptions, material shortages, or shifting priorities.
- Effective conflict resolution skills; able to address interpersonal issues on the floor calmly and escalate appropriately.
Preferred
- Associate or bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Industrial Technology, or a related field.
- APICS CPIM or CSCP certification, or active pursuit of same.
- Experience in a low-volume, high-mix (LVHM) or engineer-to-order (ETO) fabrication environment.
- Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles (value stream mapping, pull systems, Kanban).
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