Planner III

Planner III leads strategic production planning, advanced capacity analysis, and high‑level material coordination for complex product lines. This role drives cross‑functional alignment, manages nonconformances and rework workflows, and leads root‑cause and continuous‑improvement initiatives. As a senior planning expert, Planner III provides data‑driven recommendations to leadership, ensures system and master‑data accuracy, and mentors the planning team to elevate overall performance.

Roles & Responsibilities:
Qualifications & Requirements

• Advanced and Strategic production planning — Lead long‑range production planning, balancing demand forecasts, capacity constraints, and business priorities. Develop planning strategies that support growth, cost reduction, and operational stability.
• Material planning leadership — Forecast material requirements, analyze usage trends, and proactively identify supply risks. Collaborate with purchasing to drive supplier performance and reduce material shortages.
• Master data governance — Ensure accuracy of BOMs, routings, planning parameters, and item attributes. Partner with engineering and IT to improve data integrity and system performance.
• Work order lifecycle management — Oversee the full lifecycle of work orders, including creation, release, prioritization, and closure. Ensure accuracy of BOMs, routings, and labor reporting, and resolve discrepancies with engineering and production.
• Inventory coordination — Monitor stock levels, identify shortages, and help prevent overstock.
• Data analysis — Use ERP/MRP systems to analyze capacity, lead times, and production performance. Build and maintain planning dashboards, analyze production KPIs, identify bottlenecks, and recommend process improvements. Provide data‑driven insights to leadership.
• Cross‑functional leadership — Lead planning‑related meetings, drive alignment across production, engineering, quality, logistics, and supply chain teams, and influence decision‑making at a senior level.
• Issue resolution & escalation — Influence root‑cause investigations for schedule delays, material shortages, and capacity conflicts with the Purchasing Department. Drive corrective actions and escalate risks with recommended solutions.
• Nonconformance & rework management — Oversee the planning and coordination of all internal and external rework activities, including creation, scheduling, and tracking of rework work orders. Partner with quality, engineering, suppliers, and production to resolve nonconformances, minimize disruption to the production schedule, and ensure timely closure with accurate documentation.
• Issue resolution — Help troubleshoot delays, material shortages, or schedule conflict​​​​​​ERP/MRP system proficiency — Utilize advanced planning tools, maintain system accuracy, and support system improvements or configuration changes.
• Mentorship & training — Mentor Planner I and II staff, provide training on planning tools and processes, and support team development and succession planning.
• Executive‑level reporting — Prepare and present planning metrics, capacity analyses, and risk summaries to management and leadership teams as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, finance, engineering, or related discipline is required, or have a minimum of 5-7 years relevant experience in a manufacturing or supply chain position.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Strong team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must be very organized, detail-oriented and have the capacity to work on multiple issues simultaneously
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Regular on-site attendance is a necessary function of this position. 
• Wilcox is a U.S. government defense contractor, and this position is responsible to control access to export-controlled technology. Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to access U.S. government-controlled technology prior to beginning work.

Preferred Skills/Abilities:

• APICS / NAPM Certification
• Familiarity with SAP B1 software
• Lean manufacturing knowledge — Familiarity with continuous improvement tools (5S, Kaizen, value‑stream mapping) to improve flow and reduce waste.
• Advanced ERP/MRP knowledge — Deep expertise in planning parameters, master data, capacity modules, and system configuration to support complex production environments.
• Advanced analytical & reporting skills — Ability to build dashboards, analyze KPIs, and present insights to management.

Physical Requirements:

• Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing.
• Repeating motions that include wrists, hands, and fingers.
• Light work that includes moving objects up to 20 pounds.