Job Description

The Maintenance Planner is responsible for improving maintenance workforce productivity, equipment reliability, and work quality by anticipating and eliminating potential delays through effective maintenance planning, scheduling, coordination, and follow-up. This role develops detailed job plans, coordinates labor, materials, parts, tools, equipment access, safety requirements, and planned downtime, and serves as a key liaison between Maintenance, Operations, Purchasing/Stores, and other departments to ensure maintenance activities are completed safely, efficiently, and cost effectively in a high-speed manufacturing environment.

Report to:

Maintenance Supervisor

Qualifications, Requirements, & Responsibilities:

• Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Required Qualifications
• Preferred Qualifications
• Benefits
• Tools & Equipment Used
• Hours per Day/Week
• Physical Requirements
• Environment
• Required Personal Protective Equipment
• Serve as the primary liaison between Maintenance, Operations, and other supported departments to ensure timely, efficient, and high-quality maintenance services.
• Develop and maintain short-term and long-term maintenance plans that balance safety, equipment reliability, production needs, maintenance backlog, and available labor and resources.
• Prepare detailed job plans for maintenance work, including scope of work, estimated labor hours, required skills, materials, parts, tools, equipment, drawings, permits, lockout/tagout considerations, PPE, and safety precautions.
• Build, maintain, and communicate weekly and daily maintenance schedules in coordination with Maintenance supervision, Operations, and other affected departments.
• Coordinate planned downtime, shutdowns, outages, and project-related maintenance work to minimize disruption to production.
• Plan and coordinate maintenance work orders, repairs, inspections, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and corrective maintenance activities for plant equipment and facilities.
• Maintain accurate maintenance documentation, including work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, parts information, and equipment records within the CMMS systems.
• Coordinate with purchasing, warehouse, and storeroom personnel to verify parts availability, identify critical spares, stage or kit parts for planned work, and reduce delays caused by missing materials.
• Determine and organize technical documentation necessary to support maintenance personnel.
• Monitor production and operational reports to identify equipment reliability issues and resolve maintenance-related deficiencies.
• Use equipment history, downtime data, technician feedback, and production reports to identify recurring failures and support root cause analysis, corrective actions, and improvements to preventive maintenance plans.
• Coordinate labor, materials, tools, and equipment to maximize maintenance efficiency and minimize production downtime.
• Support preventive, predictive, and proactive maintenance initiatives that improve equipment reliability and plant performance.
• Track, monitor, and report maintenance performance measures such as PM compliance, schedule compliance, backlog aging, open and past-due work orders, work order accuracy, parts availability, downtime trends, and labor utilization.
• Participate in daily and weekly planning meetings with Maintenance, Operations, Purchasing/Stores, and other stakeholders to align priorities, review backlog, confirm schedules, and resolve constraints.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and all applicable EPA, OSHA, and regulatory requirements.
• Assist with audits, inspections, and maintenance reporting as required.
• Other duties as assigned.
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum of five years of maintenance, industrial mechanic, or related manufacturing experience.
• Experience with preventive, predictive, and proactive maintenance programs.
• Experience troubleshooting and maintaining high-speed industrial equipment.
• Knowledge of industrial manufacturing equipment, maintenance planning practices, and equipment reliability concepts.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and CMMS.
• Ability to read and interpret equipment manuals, mechanical drawings, blueprints, and technical diagrams.
• Strong organizational, planning, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across departments.
• Valid driver's license, if required to operate company vehicles or travel between company locations.
• Strong commitment to workplace safety and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to work flexible hours as business needs require.
• Successful completion of a post-offer drug screen and background check.
• Manufacturing experience within the forest products industry, with sawmill, plywood, veneer, engineered wood, panel products, or related wood manufacturing experience preferred.
• Experience planning maintenance work for material handling systems, conveyors, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, kilns, or related industrial equipment.
• Experience with maintenance KPI reporting, shutdown planning, parts kitting, material coordination, or work order backlog management.
• Competitive compensation based on experience.
• Vacation/Paid Time Off.
• In-house clinical care facilities for employees and eligible dependents.
• Low-cost health, dental, vision, and pharmaceutical insurance.
• 401(k) eligibility after 60 days with generous company matching options.
• CMMS
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Maintenance planning software
• Production reporting systems
• Technical manuals and blueprints
• 8-10 hours per day
• 40-50 hours per week
• Sitting for extended periods
• Walking throughout production areas
• Frequent computer use
• Ability to occasionally move, lift, or carry parts, tools, or materials up to 50 pounds, with assistance or appropriate equipment when needed.
• Combination of office and manufacturing environments
• Exposure to industrial noise, dust, and temperature fluctuations
• Safety glasses
• Hearing protection
• Steel-toed footwear as required

If you're ready to bring your expertise to a fast-paced, rewarding role with a focus on safety and efficiency, we want to hear from you. Apply now and join a company that values your experience and offers opportunities for professional growth!