Director, Production Planning

Zekelman Industries - Warren, OH

Full-time - Senior

Warren, OH

Primary Metal Manufacturing

About the position

Zekelman Industries is seeking a Director of Production Planning to play a crucial role in aligning the production and inventory strategy with the company's objectives of continuous improvement and innovation. This position is essential for overseeing the production planning and scheduling processes to ensure that manufacturing operations run smoothly and efficiently. The Director will lead strategic planning and coordination among various departments to meet production and inventory goals, balancing technical expertise with strong leadership skills. This role supports the company's ability to meet customer demands and maintain a competitive advantage in the market. The Director will be responsible for leading and promoting healthy and safe work practices as required by regulatory agencies and company policy. They will develop strategies to flex inventory levels to support working capital goals and align production capacity with inventory goals to effectively service customers. The role involves developing requirements for system enhancements to existing planning applications and implementing production plans and inventory targets for raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods inventory. Monthly and quarterly production plans and inventory targets will be prepared, and the Director will implement Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI tools to revolutionize and streamline planning and inventory management processes. Additionally, the Director will analyze production data and reports to identify trends, forecast future production needs, and make informed decisions regarding capacity planning. They will determine raw material requirements to support forecasts and will be responsible for hiring, coaching, developing, monitoring, and evaluating the performance of staff. The Director will also review and recommend personnel actions for approval and lead and coach planners in support of specific projects as well as broader development and performance management. Regular, full-time predictable onsite attendance is an essential function of this role.

Responsibilities

• Leads and promotes healthy and safe work practices as required by regulatory agencies and Company policy.
• Develops strategies to flex inventory levels to support working capital goals.
• Aligns production capacity and inventory goals to service customers and lead the Sales and Operations planning process.
• Develops requirements for system enhancements to existing planning applications.
• Develops and implements production plans and inventory targets for Raw, WIP, and Finished Goods inventory.
• Prepares monthly and quarterly production plans and inventory targets.
• Implements Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI tools to streamline planning and inventory management processes.
• Analyzes production data and reports to identify trends and forecast future production needs.
• Determines raw material requirements to support the forecast.
• Hires, coaches, develops, monitors, and evaluates performance of staff.
• Reviews and recommends personnel actions for approval.
• Leads and coaches Planners in support of specific projects and broader development and performance management.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Associate Degree in Business; Bachelor's degree in supply management preferred.
• 10+ years experience in an engineering, operations management, or manufacturing environment with at least 3 years experience in production planning and/or supply chain optimization.
• 5+ years supervising a team.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing, mechanical, and/or industrial engineering.
• Basic understanding of ERP systems and related transactional processes, with SAP experience preferred.
• Strong ability to develop organizational awareness to manage proactive change in an organization.
• Strong leadership and decision-making skills.
• Strong verbal, written, and presentation communication skills.
• Strong technical and analytical skills.
• Ability to stay updated on all organization changes and take initiative to lead change.
• Ability to influence various audiences.

Benefits

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Tuition reimbursement