Description
JOB SUMMARY:
The VP of Planning in a manufacturing environment leads long-range planning, production planning, capacity forecasting, and cross-functional alignment to ensure the company achieves operational efficiency, customer service, quality, and cost targets. This role bridges strategic planning with plant-floor execution—integrating supply chain, production, engineering, and continuous improvement initiatives into a cohesive operational strategy
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Strategic & Capacity Planning
- Develop long-term manufacturing capacity plans that align with business growth, market demand, and financial objectives.
- Forecast resource requirements for materials, equipment, technology, and workforce to meet production targets while maintaining budget constraints.
- Collaborate with R&D to plan for new product introductions and manufacturing integration.
2. Production Planning & Scheduling Oversight
- Oversee production scheduling processes to ensure cost-effective, efficient output meeting quality and delivery targets.
- Optimize planning systems such as MRP/ERP to improve accuracy of demand planning, scheduling, and inventory control.
- Implement Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies to improve flow, reduce waste, and increase throughput.
3. Supply Chain & Materials Planning
- Partner with procurement and supply chain leaders to ensure timely sourcing of materials, negotiating cost-effective contracts while maintaining supplier reliability.
- Improve material planning accuracy and reduce stockouts, excess inventory, and lead times.
- Integrate supply chain optimization practices that support manufacturing efficiency and cost reduction.
4. Operational Excellence & Process Innovation
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing principles to exceed benchmarks in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
- Lead cross-functional teams to evaluate planning performance, resolve bottlenecks, and refine processes.
- Adopt emerging manufacturing technologies and automation strategies to enhance capacity and competitiveness.
5. Performance Management & Analytics
- Develop and track planning-related KPIs such as OEE, throughput, scrap, service levels, and forecast accuracy.
- Analyze downtime trends, capacity utilization, and equipment performance to inform strategic decisions.
- Provide executive leadership with performance dashboards, scenario modeling, and recommendations.
6. Leadership & Cross-Functional Alignment
- Lead planning, scheduling, and analytics teams, building strong talent pipelines and fostering a high-performance culture.
- Serve as a strategic partner to Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance to ensure alignment across production and commercial demand.
- Ensure integration of safety and regulatory compliance into all planning activities.
- Other tasks as assigned
Requirements
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field; MBA preferred.
Experience:
- 8–10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience
- Proven leadership in production planning, capacity planning, supply chain, or operations.
- Strong background in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
Other Skills (Technical, or Other special knowledge and abilities)
- Deep understanding of manufacturing systems, MRP/ERP, production scheduling, and supply chain planning.
- Excellent analytical, forecasting, and problem-solving abilities.
- Strong communication, leadership, and cross-functional influence skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex planning processes in fast-paced environments.
- Improved forecast accuracy and planning reliability.
- Reduction in lead times, downtime, and operational bottlenecks.
- Improved OEE, productivity, and on-time delivery rates.
- Strong alignment between production capacity and commercial demand.
- Successful integration of new technologies and continuous improvement initiatives.
