Production Planner- Onsite Role In Sacramento, Ca

FULLY ONSITE ROLE IN SACRAMENTO, CA!

Job Title: Production Planner External Planning

Job Description

The Production Planner External Planning develops and maintains production and capacity plans with external manufacturing partners to ensure product availability, healthy inventory levels, and excellent customer service. This role translates demand into executable production schedules while balancing material availability, manufacturing capacity, product shelf life, and cost. The Production Planner works closely with Demand Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality/Food Safety, Logistics, Warehousing, and Customer Service to monitor execution, identify supply constraints, and recommend adjustments. The role also contributes planning data and scenario analysis to the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process and supports continuous improvement across the external manufacturing network.

Responsibilities

• Develop, update, and execute production and capacity plans for external manufacturing partners, aligning schedules with demand, inventory targets, material availability, and Integrated Business Planning priorities.

• Coordinate detailed production scheduling, sequencing, and product mix with co-manufacturers, taking into account capacity, lead times, shelf-life requirements, and cost and service trade-offs.

• Maintain short-, medium-, and long-range supply plans, evaluate feasibility, and recommend adjustments to address changing demand patterns or manufacturing conditions.

• Monitor supply risks, including material shortages, capacity constraints, quality holds, and aging inventory, and develop scenarios with recommended mitigation actions or production reallocations.

• Serve as the day-to-day planning contact for co-manufacturers, confirming production commitments, communicating schedule changes, and following up on execution gaps.

• Coordinate closely with Procurement, Quality/Food Safety, Logistics, Warehousing, and Customer Service to support material readiness, product release, and timely product availability.

• Track schedule attainment, service levels, inventory health, waste, and other key performance indicators, investigate variances, and support corrective actions with external partners.

• Provide capacity, constraint, and supply plan information to Demand Planning, Commercial teams, and IBP discussions to support informed cross-functional decision-making.

• Improve planning processes, data accuracy, reporting, and system usage to strengthen visibility and execution across the external manufacturing network.

• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to production planning, external manufacturing performance, and supply chain efficiency.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Minimum of 1 year of experience in production planning, supply planning, scheduling, or related supply chain work.

• Hands-on experience coordinating production with manufacturers and using ERP or production planning systems.

• Ability to analyze demand, inventory, capacity, and production data using Excel or comparable reporting and analytical tools.

• Strong communication skills to effectively collaborate with co-manufacturers and cross-functional teams.

• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple plans, timelines, and priorities.

• Proven problem-solving skills with a structured approach to identifying issues and implementing solutions.

• Demonstrated cross-functional coordination skills across Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality/Food Safety, Logistics, Warehousing, and Customer Service.

• Practical knowledge of production planning, production scheduling, and inventory control principles.

• Proficiency with ERP systems and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, for planning, reporting, and data analysis.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working with co-manufacturing or external manufacturing networks.

• Background in food, beverage, consumer packaged goods, or other shelf-life-sensitive products.

• Exposure to Integrated Business Planning (IBP) or Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) processes.

• Experience with advanced planning or ERP tools such as SAP.

• Familiarity with MRP, schedule planning, purchasing, procurement, logistics, and inventory management processes.

• Experience using syndicated market or consumption data and business intelligence tools such as Power BI or Tableau.

• Knowledge of product lifecycle planning, including promotions, innovation launches, product transitions, and SKU rationalization.

• Professional supply chain certifications such as APICS CPIM, CSCP, or other relevant credentials.

• Experience supporting forecasting process improvements, system implementations, or advanced analytics capabilities.

• Strong skills in inventory management, inventory control, and purchase order management within ERP systems.

Work Environment

This role operates within a dynamic supply chain and planning environment that relies heavily on ERP systems, advanced planning tools, and Microsoft Office applications for data analysis and reporting. The Production Planner collaborates regularly with internal teams and external co-manufacturers, requiring frequent communication and coordination across functions such as Demand Planning, Procurement, Quality/Food Safety, Logistics, Warehousing, and Customer Service. Work is primarily performed in an office or hybrid setting, focused on planning activities, data review, and scenario analysis, with occasional interaction with manufacturing partners to align production schedules and resolve issues. The environment emphasizes cross-functional teamwork, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making to support reliable product availability and efficient external manufacturing operations.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Sacramento, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $45.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Sacramento, CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 26, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Sacramento,CA.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] (%[email protected]) for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.