Production Planner

DESTACO, a Dover Company, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance automation, workholding, and remote handling solutions.  The company serves customers in variety of end-markets, including the automotive, life sciences, consumer goods, packaging, aerospace, and nuclear sectors.

Built on a legacy of over 100 years, DESTACO offers a comprehensive portfolio of products to engineer precise movement, placement and control solutions that drive productivity and uptime for manufacturers around the world. The DESTACO family of products consists of industry-leading brands such as DESTACO Manual and Power Clamps, Camco and Ferguson Indexers, Robohand Grippers and CRL Manipulators and Transfer Ports.

DESTACO is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and operates globally through ~800 employees across 13 locations.

Dover is a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenues of $7 billion. The company delivers innovative equipment and components, specialty systems, and support services through four major operating segments: Energy, Engineered Systems, Fluids, and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under “DOV.”

The Production Planner is responsible for the management of all production scheduling activities for the assigned value stream.  S/he will coordinate with buyer(s) on deliveries for proper scheduling of manufacturing operations and production job orders.  S/he will conduct analysis to recommend potential manufacturing improvements to product development and operations.  S/he will be responsible for scheduling a high volume of parts, equipment, services and materials to meet operational needs in alignment with corporate materials management standards.

The Production Planner reports to the Value Stream Manager with dotted line into the Materials Manager and is in Mount Juliet, TN.  The position requires limited travel (up to 10%).  The position requires the ability to work and communicate globally across the regions with those in all levels of the organization, with customers and suppliers, and to work in teams worldwide.

Key Job Responsibilities included but not limited to:

• Promotes safety awareness with other members of the plant team.  Promotes accident prevention and employee involvement regarding a safe work environment.
• Supports the continuous improvement roadmap for the materials team.  Leverages continuous improvement tools to drive continued operational improvements.
• Interface with suppliers & internal buyers to verify and ensure best on-time delivery performance on open PO’s and identify and communicate purchased part shortages to be expedited.
• Participates on cost reduction projects and conducts monthly cost reduction and value analysis.
• Reviews purchase order and manufacturing work order acknowledgements and delivery dates in ERP system. Provides quantities required during parts shortages to ensure sourcing needs are addressed.
• Conducts planning activities aligned with the supply chain philosophy and strategy, executing and supporting projects.  Designs and implements process improvements with a continuous improvement mind set.
• Collaborates with operations, materials and procurement teams to optimize total value and complete work to support organizational goals.  Communicates and completes work globally, ensuring information, quoting and sourcing is completed with global suppliers.
• Analyze released order shortages that are fillable to identify current problems. Analyze unreleased orders that are fillable to release or identify future problems.
• Plans and schedules manufacturing work areas considering productivity, daily capacity, material availability, and customer delivery to ensure parts are produced in a timely manner to meet OTD targets.
• Resource planning in a low volume, high mix capacity environment.
• Monitor daily production progress against daily production plan. If target is not met, analyze with manufacturing team root cause and derive countermeasures.
• Support maintenance of master data parameters to ensure accurate signals for quantity and dates generated by MRP (i.e. production lead times, lot sizing, and safety stock) to minimize excess.
• Represent Planning in inter-departmental meetings, including but not limited to, participation in cross-functional teams for new product introductions, as required. Work with research and development, process engineering, drafting and engineering records to clear engineering holds.
• Serve as front line support to customer service teams for assigned value stream to provide feedback to customers on past due orders and expedite requests.
• Assist in implementing systematic solutions to control inventory flow, minimize shortages, and maintain inventory accuracy.

Leadership Competencies aligned with Dover and executed in DESTACO with appropriate expectations for the job level:

• Builds and Manages Collaborative Relationships – Establishes and nurtures numerous relationships within Dover. Takes action to partner with the communities in which we operate and to be an appropriate corporate citizen.

• Results Driven – Produces results that exceed Dover’s strategic objectives via a combination of planning and implementation, while living the Dover Values.
• Strong Business Acumen and Sound Judgement – Uses instinct as well as data to accurately assess business situations and industry trends; makes timely, appropriate decisions and implements appropriate plans while living the Dover Values.

Experience:

• Requires five (5) years of production planning experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience with low volume, high mix capacity and resource planning preferred
• Experience recommending and implementing continuous improvements in production planning preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Analytical, ability to review and interpret data and make recommendations and decisions
• Strong Knowledge, understanding and practice of MRP principles.
• Excellent project management skills. Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines
• Self-directed and able to re-calibrate priorities as needed
• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain positive relationships with customers and suppliers
• Ability to problem solve and lead others in problem-solving activities
• High integrity and ethics
• Intermediate or advanced level of experience with Excel
• Experience with planning within an ERP system; Oracle experience preferred.

Education and Certification Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in supply chain management or related field, minimum requred associates
• Professional certifications from APICS, ISM, APS etc. are highly preferred.

Travel Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.

Work Arrangement : Onsite  

We consider several job-related, non-discriminatory factors when determining the pay rate for a position, including, but not limited to, the position’s responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, a candidate’s education/training, the position’s location, and the key skills needed for the position.  Pay is one of the Total Rewards that we provide to compensate and recognize employees for their work.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other factors prohibited by law.