Production Planning Lead

Job Responsibilities

Production Planning

• Coordinate with sales and operations to develop a weekly treating schedule at key plants based on demand, capacity, and product availability

• Forecast future capacity to guide sales on a month-by-month basis
• Maintain a rolling production plan that translates customer demand, inventory position, plant capacity, and raw material availability into clear weekly and monthly execution priorities
• Identify and escalate production limits, capacity gaps, and inventory risks, to recommend action to sales, operations, procurement, logistics, and product management leadership

Forecasting & Estimating

• Develop and operate a monthly planning forecast to drive quarterly estimate and program

• Utilize data to guide procurement on inbound production for each plant, recommend sorter rates, and develop capacity models to ensure customer’s needs and contract terms are met
• Provide a 12-month forecast to key raw material suppliers (i.e. Creosote, Procurement, etc.)
• Partner with sales and product management to reconcile demand assumptions, sales forecasts, contractual commitments, and market change to create a monthly planning cycle
• Support quarterly estimate and annual planning processes by providing production volume assumptions, inventory projections, capacity outlooks, and key operational risks

Data Analytics

• Leverage operational data to help key leaders in RPS drive out inefficiencies, eliminate waste, increase quality, boost productivity, generate value for the customer, and raise profitability

• Utilize data analytics to improve demand forecasting and inventory management, minimizing stockouts and excess inventory to optimize working capital
• Develop and manage Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for various segments of the division
• Use Excel and PowerBI to design dashboards for internal and external customers
• Create standardized reporting routines that highlight forecast accuracy, inventory coverage, production attainment, plant utilization, aging inventory, and customer service risk

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with manufacturing and operations to align production capacity with demand.

• Partner with logistics and supply chain teams to ensure efficient fulfillment and distribution.
• Lead regular planning discussions with plant, sales, procurement, and logistics stakeholders to ensure decisions are aligned, documented, and followed through to completion
• Communicate planning decisions, tradeoffs, and risks clearly to leadership, including the impact on customers, production efficiency, inventory levels, and financial performance

Planning Process & Operating Cadence

• Own the weekly production planning cadence, including demand review, capacity review, inventory review, issue escalation, and follow-up on action items

• Drive alignment between short-term execution needs and longer-term business planning assumptions for sales, procurement, manufacturing, and finance
• Develop planning standards, templates, and common definitions that improve consistency across locations and reduce reliance on informal or site-specific processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Engineering, or related; MBA preferred
• 3 to 5+ years of experience in sales, operations, supply chain, or manufacturing.
• Knowledge of accounting and finance procedures
• Proven track record of problem solving, order management, and supply-chain experience
• Multi-site manufacturing, railroad, wood treating, or heavy materials experience preferred
• Demonstrated ability to convert complex operational data into practical planning decisions, executive-ready summaries, and cross-functional action plans
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical problem solving skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship building abilities.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, Excel/Power BI, forecasting tools, and data analysis.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP (Oracle preferred), inventory management, demand planning, production scheduling, and reporting systems preferred.
• Ability to manage complex projects and collaborate cross functionally.
• Ability to influence without direct authority, resolve competing priorities, and create alignment across commercial, operational, procurement, logistics, and finance teams.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a results-driven approach.
• Willingness to travel to customer sites, mills, industry events, and field locations.