Planner III - Mixing/Lab

Rubbercraft is seeking a Planner III – Mixing/Lab who is responsible for planning and scheduling all Mixing and Lab activities required to support production across the entire Rubbercraft site. Reporting to the Planning Manager, this position owns the development and execution of the Mixing/Lab production plan and serves as the primary coordination point between site demand, production capacity, material availability, inventory requirements, quality requirements, and downstream manufacturing needs. As a Planner III, this role operates with a high degree of independence and is expected to proactively identify and resolve complex planning, capacity, material, and scheduling constraints. The Planner III translates site requirements into an executable production plan that ensures compounds and related materials are available when required while optimizing capacity, inventory, production flow, and customer service. About Rubbercraft: Rubbercraft is a leading manufacturer of precision-engineered elastomeric components and assemblies for the aerospace and defense industry. With decades of experience supporting mission-critical applications, Rubbercraft specializes in seals, gaskets, molded components, and other highly engineered solutions designed to perform in demanding environments. Production Planning & Scheduling • Own the daily, weekly, and forward-looking production plan for the Mixing/Lab department supporting the entire Rubbercraft site. • Translate production demand, work orders, forecasts, inventory requirements, and business priorities into an executable Mixing/Lab schedule. • Ensure compounds and materials are planned and available to support downstream manufacturing at the required time and quantity. • Establish production priorities and sequence work based on demand, equipment capacity, labor availability, material availability, batch requirements, changeovers, processing constraints, and customer priorities. • Balance competing requirements across manufacturing departments while maintaining alignment with overall site and customer requirements. • Adjust production plans in response to demand changes, equipment downtime, material shortages, quality issues, capacity constraints, and other operational disruptions. • Maintain appropriate short-, medium-, and longer-term planning horizons to identify capacity, inventory, and material requirements before they become production constraints. • Communicate schedule priorities, changes, constraints, and recovery plans to affected stakeholders. Material & Inventory Planning • Validate material availability and planning requirements before scheduling and releasing production. • Identify current and potential raw material, compound, and inventory shortages that could affect production. • Coordinate with Purchasing, Materials, Warehouse, and Operations to resolve shortages and ensure material availability. • Establish and maintain appropriate planning parameters, including safety stock and replenishment requirements, for assigned materials and compounds. • Incorporate Kanban and other replenishment signals into the production plan where applicable. • Monitor inventory consumption, demand patterns, and inventory health to identify risks and opportunities. • Consider compound shelf life, expiration, aging, and obsolescence when determining production requirements and priorities. • Support inventory optimization initiatives while maintaining appropriate service levels for downstream operations. Capacity & Constraint Management • Evaluate Mixing/Lab capacity against current and future site requirements. • Identify equipment, labor, material, batch-size, changeover, and other capacity constraints. • Perform capacity analysis and identify potential gaps before they impact production. • Escalate significant capacity, material, or schedule risks to the Planning Manager and appropriate operational leadership. • Develop and coordinate recovery plans when production falls behind schedule or unexpected constraints occur. • Recommend schedule adjustments, alternate sequencing, overtime requirements, inventory strategies, or other actions necessary to maintain production continuity. • Optimize production sequencing, batch sizes, and campaign opportunities to improve utilization and reduce unnecessary changeovers. Cross-Functional Planning & Coordination • Serve as the primary Supply Chain planning interface between Mixing/Lab and downstream manufacturing departments. • Participate in daily production, scheduling, and supply chain meetings. • Provide clear visibility to production priorities, shortages, constraints, and recovery plans. • Partner with Production Supervisors and Operations leadership to ensure production plans are achievable and executed. • Coordinate with Quality/Lab personnel to incorporate testing, approvals, releases, holds, and other quality requirements into the production plan. • Work with Engineering and Operations to incorporate new products, process changes, and special manufacturing requirements into capacity and production plans. • Provide the Planning Manager with timely visibility to significant planning risks and recommended actions. Schedule Execution & Performance • Monitor actual production performance against the established plan. • Identify schedule misses, determine root causes and downstream impacts, and coordinate recovery actions. • Maintain accurate planning, scheduling, and material information within the ERP/MRP system. • Analyze planning and production data to identify trends, recurring constraints, and improvement opportunities. • Track and communicate key planning and operational performance indicators. • Support corrective actions for recurring schedule, material, inventory, and capacity issues. • Lead or support continuous improvement initiatives focused on schedule adherence, inventory optimization, lead-time reduction, capacity utilization, and production flow. • Recommend improvements to planning processes, ERP/MRP parameters, reporting, and planning tools. Key Performance Indicators • Mixing/Lab schedule attainment • On-time availability of compounds and materials to downstream operations • Production shortages attributable to material or planning constraints • Schedule stability • Past-due work orders • Inventory and safety stock performance • Inventory aging and obsolescence • Expedites and emergency batches • Capacity utilization • Production lead time • ERP/MRP planning data accuracy • Recovery of schedule disruptions and constraint resolution Qualifications Education and Experience • Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing experience may be considered. • Typically 5+ years of progressive experience in production planning, scheduling, materials planning, supply chain, or manufacturing operations. • Demonstrated experience independently managing complex production schedules in a manufacturing environment. • Experience with batch manufacturing, rubber compounding, chemical processing, or similar manufacturing processes strongly preferred. • Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and production planning principles. • Experience with capacity planning, inventory management, and material requirements planning. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • Advanced understanding of production planning, scheduling, MRP, capacity planning, and inventory management. • Strong understanding of manufacturing routings, bills of material, lead times, production rates, inventory parameters, and capacity constraints. • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate multiple variables and develop practical solutions. • Ability to independently prioritize competing requirements based on site, operational, and customer needs. • Strong Excel and data-analysis skills. • Ability to interpret production and inventory data and translate findings into actionable plans. • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. • Ability to make timely planning decisions in a dynamic manufacturing environment. • Strong written and verbal communication skills. • Ability to effectively communicate priorities, risks, and recommendations across multiple departments and levels of the organization. • Demonstrated ability to anticipate problems, develop solutions, and drive cross-functional actions to resolution. Key Working Relationships The Planner III – Mixing/Lab works closely with Mixing/Lab Operations, Production, Materials/Warehouse, Purchasing, Quality, Engineering, Customer Service, and other Supply Chain functions to maintain alignment between site demand and Mixing/Lab execution. Position Expectations The Planner III – Mixing/Lab owns the end-to-end planning process for Mixing/Lab in support of the entire Rubbercraft site. The Planner III is expected to understand current and future site requirements, determine when compounds and materials must be produced, validate material and capacity availability, establish production priorities, and proactively identify risks before they result in shortages or production interruptions. This position is expected to operate independently, use data to drive planning decisions, challenge unrealistic requirements when appropriate, and coordinate cross-functional actions to resolve constraints. Success in this role is measured not simply by publishing a schedule, but by maintaining a realistic and executable production plan that supports reliable material availability, inventory control, schedule attainment, and uninterrupted production flow throughout the Rubbercraft site. Benefits At Rubbercraft, we recognize how important your career and benefits are to you and your family. We offer a full suite of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability coverage, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, basic and supplemental life insurance, employee assistance plan, retirement savings and matching, and other developmental opportunities. We are committed to supporting the way you live and work. RCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to complete the application process may contact Human Resources. This position requires access to information subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a “U.S. person” as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees, as required by U.S. export control laws.