Production and Inventory Planner

At High Steel Service Center, we don't just move metal, we move industries forward. As a leading Mid-Atlantic processor and distributor of carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, we deliver precision-cut products, just-in-time solutions, and unmatched customer service from our 200,000-square-foot facility.

But what really sets us apart is our people. Build on trust, craftsmanship, and a shared commitment to getting it right the first time, our team drives the quality and reliability our customers count on. Looking to build a career with strength, stability, and purpose? Join High Steel Service Center, where precision meets pride.

We are actively searching for a Production & Inventory Planner to join our team at High Steel Service Center located in Lancaster, PA!

The Production and Inventory Planner position is responsible for planning the production and inventory requirements needed to maximize production efficiency, minimize inventory investment, and meet customer service expectations.  This role will plan, schedule, release, and track the flow of material requirements from Purchasing and Sales through Production to Shipping.

This position functions as a critical liaison between the production, purchasing, demand management, and sales functions.  It is a focal point among all departments to effectively communicate and help meet company goals and customer requirements, but specifically provides direction to the work center functions as it relates to production schedules.

This is a 1st shift in office role. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Establish mutually-agreed capacities at each work center or constraint by working with Production, Purchasing, and Sales.
• Establish inventory requirements at SKU level based on forecast and usage data.
• Monitor, analyze and report on schedule execution and inventory performance results.
• Ensure timely execution of all schedule requirements.
• Prepare an executable forward-scheduled production plan built upon a foundation of constraint management and finite capacity.
• Develop and articulate potential solutions to scheduling problems created by changing conditions.
• Understands and can articulate tradeoffs of potential solutions to senior management.
• Attend daily production meeting for input and general knowledge concerning daily production plan.
• Proactively engage appropriate key Supervisors or Managers to act upon opportunities and problems as they arise.
• Notify appropriate Sales personnel if production schedule will not meet customer schedule requirements. At the time of such notification, expectation is that Production and Inventory Planner will also advise of appropriate recovery plan.
• Identify current planned level of demand, then create production plans and manage inventory as needed to meet the identified customer demand.
• Responsible for resolving conflicts that inhibit schedule execution.
• Interpret system generated action messages and make necessary changes to production and/or inventory plans.
• Effectively manage a portion of capacity in MPS for unplanned events.
• Create and maintain bills of materials and routings for standard stock items in our product offering.
• Determine available capacity before planned orders are released.
• Establish, measure, monitor, and adjust capacity levels to execute all manufacturing schedules.
• Measures schedule attainment.
• Responsible for allocation of inventory to all production orders.
• Minimize scrap and side cuts by combining like gauges or sizes with compatible processing.
• Track, count and reconcile finished goods and raw material inventories.
• Achieve optimal fulfillment, forecast and inventory turn results through the alignment of the appropriate processes, systems and people.
• Ensure an adequate supply of product to service customer needs while minimizing working inventory investment.
• Responsible for informing all Sales, Shipping and Shop Supervisors of any changes in the current schedule.
• Support and contribute to the success and maintenance of Policy Deployment / Value Stream Mapping / Rapid Improvement Events / Continuous Improvement Process
• Plans and executes special projects when assigned.

 

Experience, Training and/or Education required:

• BS degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Management, or similar accredited business degree.
• 5 years of hands-on work center scheduling in a fast-paced repetitive production environment.
• Ability to critically analyze current state situations and establish a future state vision.
• Demonstrated track record of process improvement. Can complement lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated problem solving and decision-making abilities.
• Must possess strong mathematical skills and the ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of ERP system software required. SAP experience strongly preferred. 
• Understand the relationships between the production plan, sales plan, and overall business plan.
• Have knowledge of various methods to establish and work with bills of material (BOMs) and routings.
• Understand scheduling techniques (i.e. forward scheduling, backward scheduling, etc.).
• Have knowledge of techniques to manage infinite loading and finite loading.
• Have knowledge of how to manage load leveling and bottleneck scheduling.
• Understand how to implement and determine the appropriate scheduling technique to control capacity at work centers.
• Demonstrated ability to choose between alternative courses of action using data driven decision processes.
• Understands output of materials requirement planning (MRP), capacity management, and advanced planning system technologies.
• Understands the planning requirements for managing make-to-stock and make-to-order manufacturing environments.
• Has knowledge of performing cumulative lead time (stackup) analysis.
• Understands the purpose of a safety stock strategy. (techniques, why it is necessary, etc.).
• A self-starter, with the ability to multi-task and manage multiple concurrent responsibilities with little direction from his or her supervisor.

 

License or Certificates required:

• APICS CPIM certification is required.

 

Dimenstions:

• The Production and Inventory Planner directly impacts efficiencies, inventories and profitability in an operation with an annual sales volume of $75M - $100M. 

 

Working for The High Companies:

• Excellent benefits including medical, dental and vision available for full-time coworkers. Vacation is offered to regular full-time coworkers and is earned annually on your anniversary date. You may carry over a portion of your hours into the next anniversary year.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with a company match.
• Tuition Assistance with 100 percent reimbursement for approved courses and degree programs which are job related and approved in advance by your supervisor.
• Employee Assistance Program provides professional, confidential assistance for any type of personal issue you or your eligible dependents are experiencing.
• High Family Foundation Scholarship is awarded annually to the children of High co-workers working at least 1,000 hours per year and employed for at least two years. Recipients are awarded $4,000 for each year they are enrolled in a two- or four-year accredited degree program.
• Good Measure Award is presented periodically to an individual or team from each of the High companies who exemplifies The High Philosophy and who has gone above and beyond normal job responsibilities to provide "Good Measure."
• High Health & Wellness Center