Planner - Products

Summary: As a Planner at Microwave Products Group - Pole/Zero Corporation in West Chester, OH, you will support the military community by being responsible for scheduling and planning the manufacturing activities of an assigned product line and subordinate operations when necessary. Primary Responsibilities: - Analyzes and communicates part shortage(s) to Materials Manager and buyers prior to Design Reviews - Prepares for and attends engineering Design Reviews and New Product Launch meetings - Supports Materials Manager, Manufacturing Manager and Director Supply Chain in implementing optimal material flow analysis including: Kanban, batch flow and other pull initiatives where applicable - Supports corporate initiatives in regards to material flow and other improvement activities - Supports aggregate planning initiatives and provides forecasting data as required - Plans, schedules and communicates sub-assemblies and finished goods priorities through production operations ensuring targets and goals are clear and understood - Promotes and works toward level loading of schedules through manipulation of shop orders - Supports production smoothing by providing data and analysis of actual vs expected production build times - Supports analysis of Workflow by conducting studies on: Capacity, Cycle Times, Takt and lead times - Develops Pareto activity charts and provides associated improvement activity data to Production Manager, Materials Manager and/or Director Supply Chain - Communicates schedules and scheduling related metrics through Visual Management boards and Gemba walks - Develops detailed schedules, material requirements lists, and production plans for established product lines - Monitors actual versus planned production times and variances - Updates the operating system data in a timely and accurate manner - Manages and maintains adequate inventory levels of finished components, work in progress, and raw materials - Communicates effectively with all levels internal and external customers - Recommends ideas for process improvements and quality improvements - Supports AS9100/ISO9001 quality initiatives - Interfaces with design engineering and production to plan timely completion of development hardware - Evaluates and recommends planned delivery dates for new orders - Facilitates product line production status meetings - Analyzes MRP output to determine raw material requirements - Ensures product quality and compliance with all policies and procedures - Performs special projects as assigned, along with continually improving efficiencies of the planning group - Updates raw material MRP planning parameters (min/max attributes, safety stocks, lot sizes, etc.) for new items, along with changes required for existing items - Leads meetings, communicates and tracks action items for special projects as assigned by Materials Manager or Director, Supply Chain - Measures schedule adherence and effectiveness and adjusts planning methodologies accordingly Knowledge, skills and abilities strongly preferred include: Exceptional analytical and data analysis abilities Ability to multi-task while maintaining a high level of attention to detail and accuracy Understands production, workflow, shop capacity, supply chain, manpower utilizations and load reporting Proficient in the use of MS Office (Word, Access & Project) Advanced skills in the use of MS Excel Excellent organizational, communication and follow-up skills required Knowledge of ERP/MRP systems, production planning, and inventory management principles Knowledge of lean manufacturing practices required Exposure of IFS or other ERP systems Ability to esta