Production Planning Manager

Join our Rockford, IL team as a Production Planning Manager and play a pivotal role in driving operational success. You will be responsible for optimizing production schedules, managing inventory and materials, coordinating logistics and procurement activities, and collaborating across the organization to ensure customer needs are met while supporting efficient plant operations.

Responsibilities

Manage daily operational activities of supervisors and production staff to ensure customer orders are received, scheduled, and produced at the lowest possible cost to meet the customer’s requirements while maintaining established safety and quality standards. Manage assigned employees, including recruitment, supervision, scheduling, development, evaluation, and performance management.

Understand and effectively apply work rules, union contract provisions, and employment policies. Administer discipline consistently and fairly. Work with Human Resources and plant management to resolve employee related issues. Manage activities related to strategic purchasing, material requirements planning, inventory control, warehousing, and receiving.

Manage procurement and coordination of all raw ingredients and packaging material. Oversee the management of work in progress and finished goods inventory. Oversee and manage inventory levels to safeguard operational and financial goals. Lead and participate in kaizen events, corrective actions, and audits. Develop, maintain, and manage programs, spreadsheets and other record keeping methods to ensure accurate information is readily available and current.

Track and report KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) as identified by the organization. Undergraduate degree in business or related curriculum preferred. 5 to 8 years of production planning, or related experience with demonstrated leadership attributes, team leadership, or supervisory experience; 1+ year of manager experience preferred.

Knowledge of manufacturing process flow and importance to process; strong understanding of facility utility infrastructure and its impact to production throughput. Skill in leadership and coaching; knowledge of principles and practices of supervision, training, and personnel management. Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and the ability to learn and adapt to new systems and technologies quickly.

Certification and/or License – may be required during course of employment Benefits: Comprehensive Benefits Package available 1 st of the month after start date 401(k) with company contribution Competitive pay Paid vacation and holidays Career growth opportunities – we promote from within! Service recognition and employee rewards Employee referral program Tuition reimbursement Work for dairy farm families An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans