Job Description

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. In addition to planning and scheduling duties, this role provides day-to-day direction and coordination to production floor personnel, serving as the primary point of leadership on the floor in the absence of formal supervisory staff.

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.

Floor Leadership & Crew Direction

• Provide day-to-day work direction to production floor personnel, assigning tasks and sequencing work in alignment with the active schedule.
• Act as the first point of contact for operators and fabricators with questions about job priorities, work order instructions, or routing clarifications.
• Monitor crew attendance and coverage at the start of each shift; reassign labor to cover gaps and maintain schedule adherence.
• Enforce safety rules, housekeeping standards, and quality expectations on the floor; address minor behavioral issues in the moment and escalate patterns to the Service division leader.
• Support onboarding of new shop employees by orienting them to work instructions, safety practices, and shop standards.
• Provide input to the Service division leader on crew performance, training needs, and workload observations; does not have direct hiring or termination authority.

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.

Working Conditions

Work is performed primarily in an office setting adjacent to the manufacturing floor. Regular presence on the shop floor is expected to maintain situational awareness of production status. The role requires the ability to work in a manufacturing environment that may include exposure to noise, metal dust, and moving equipment. Standard safety PPE is required when on the floor. Occasional overtime may be needed to support customer delivery requirements.

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).