Production Planner

Description

JOB SUMMARY

The Production Planner External Planning develops and maintains production and capacity plans with external manufacturing partners (co-manufacturers) to support product availability, appropriate inventory levels, and customer service. The role translates demand into executable schedules while considering materials, manufacturing capacity, product shelf life, and cost. Working closely with Demand Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality/Food Safety, Logistics, and Customer Service, the Production Planner monitors execution, identifies supply constraints, and recommends adjustments. The role contributes planning data and scenario analysis to the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process and supports continuous improvement across the external manufacturing network.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Develops, updates, and executes production and capacity plans for external manufacturing partners, aligning schedules with demand, inventory targets, material availability, and IBP priorities. Coordinates production scheduling, sequencing, and product mix with co-manufacturers, accounting for capacity, lead times, shelf-life requirements, and cost and service trade-offs. Maintains short-, medium-, and long-range supply plans; evaluates feasibility and recommends adjustments to address changing demand or manufacturing conditions. Monitors supply risks, including material shortages, capacity constraints, quality holds, and aging inventory; develops scenarios and recommends mitigation actions or production reallocations. Serves as a day-to-day planning contact for co-manufacturers, confirming production commitments, communicating schedule changes, and following up on execution gaps. Coordinates with Procurement, Quality/Food Safety, Logistics, Warehousing, and Customer Service to support material readiness, product release, and timely product availability. Tracks schedule attainment, service levels, inventory health, waste, and other key performance indicators; investigates variances and supports corrective actions with partners. Provides capacity, constraint, and supply plan information to Demand Planning, Commercial teams, and IBP discussions to support cross-functional decisions. Improves planning processes, data accuracy, reporting, and system use to strengthen visibility and execution across the external manufacturing network. This job description reflects managements assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Skills

Planner, Production planning, Erp, Sap, Production, Supply chain, Production scheduling, Inventory, Mrp, Schedule planning, Planning scheduling, Purchasing, Logistics, Erp system, Microsoft office, Inventory control, Purchase order, Procurement, Inventory management, Supply chain processes, Bill of material, Work orders, Project management, Microsoft excel, Operation, Material planning, Data entry, Production planning/scheduling

Top Skills Details

Planner

Additional Skills & Qualifications

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience. Minimum of 1 years of experience in production planning, supply planning, scheduling, or related supply chain work. 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 tools. Strong communication, organization, problem-solving, and cross-functional coordination skills.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES

Experience with co-manufacturing or external manufacturing networks; food, beverage, CPG, or shelf-life-sensitive products; IBP/S&OP; and advanced planning or ERP tools (such as SAP). Experience using syndicated market or consumption data and business intelligence tools such as Power BI or Tableau. Knowledge of product lifecycle planning, promotions, innovation launches, product transitions, and SKU rationalization APICS CPIM, CSCP, or another relevant supply chain certification; experience supporting forecasting process improvements, system implementations, or advanced analytics capabilities.

Experience Level

Entry Level

Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract to Hire position based out of Sacramento, CA. Pay and BenefitsThe 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 & LocationThis is a Contract to Hire position based out of Sacramento, CA. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 20, 2026. Workplace TypeThis 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 astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com 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.