Production Planner/Buyer

Who Is Prince?

Founded in 1959 by Ed Miller near Chicago, Prince Industries has grown from a one-man shop into a global manufacturing partner. With seven facilities across the U.S. and China, we serve industries from hydraulics to aerospace, handling everything from just-in-time components to high-volume assemblies.

At Prince, we don’t just make parts—we solve complex supply chain challenges. We are a strategic partner, focused on helping clients improve products, reduce costs, and simplify operations. Certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, and AS9100 standards, we combine quality, innovation, and growth-minded thinking to deliver real value.

Job Summary

The Production Planner / Buyer is responsible for planning, scheduling, and coordinating manufacturing activities to ensure on-time delivery, optimal inventory levels, and efficient utilization of plant resources. This role serves as a critical link between Customer Service, Engineering, Production, Purchasing, and Shipping to ensure customer requirements are met while maximizing operational efficiency.

The Production Planner / Buyer develops and maintains production schedules, manages material requirements, procures raw materials and outside services, monitors inventory levels, and drives timely communication regarding order status and delivery commitments. The successful candidate will be highly analytical, detail-oriented, and experienced working within an ERP/MRP environment. Experience with Epicor ERP is strongly preferred.

Duties & Responsibilities

Production & Planning

Develop, maintain, and execute production schedules for all manufacturing departments.

Analyze customer demand, capacity requirements, lead times, and material availability to establish realistic production priorities.

Monitor production performance and adjust schedules as necessary to meet customer commitments and changing priorities.

Coordinate with Production Supervisors to ensure efficient workflow and resource utilization.

Identify production bottlenecks and recommend corrective actions to maintain on-time delivery.

Expedite critical orders and resolve scheduling conflicts.

Materials Planning & Inventory Management

Utilize ERP/MRP tools to plan material requirements and support production schedules.

Monitor inventory levels and maintain appropriate stock quantities while minimizing excess inventory.

Analyze inventory usage, lead times, safety stock levels, and forecast requirements.

Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies and material shortages.

Support cycle counting and inventory accuracy initiatives.

Purchasing & Supplier Management

Procure raw materials, components, consumables, and outside processing services required to support production.

Create and manage purchase orders within the ERP system.

Monitor supplier performance regarding quality, delivery, and responsiveness.

Coordinate with suppliers to expedite deliveries, resolve shortages, and mitigate supply chain disruptions.

Maintain accurate supplier records, pricing, and lead time information.

Customer Order Management

Review incoming customer orders and determine achievable delivery dates based on capacity and material availability.

Communicate order status, scheduling constraints, and revised delivery dates to Customer Service and management.

Collaborate with Customer Service to prioritize orders based on customer needs and business objectives.

ERP & Reporting

Maintain accurate planning, inventory, and purchasing data within the ERP system.

Ensure Bills of Material (BOMs), lead times, routing information, and planning parameters remain current.

Generate and distribute weekly production, delivery, inventory, and purchasing reports.

Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) and recommend process improvements.

Continuous Improvement

Participate in process improvement initiatives related to production planning, inventory control, purchasing, and operational efficiency.

Identify opportunities to improve scheduling accuracy, inventory turns, lead times, and on-time delivery performance.

Support implementation and optimization of ERP/MRP processes.

Required Education & Experience

Associate's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or related field preferred.

Equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing experience may be considered.

3-5 years of experience in production planning, scheduling, purchasing, materials management, or supply chain roles within a manufacturing environment.

Experience working in a high-mix, low-to-medium volume manufacturing environment preferred.

Experience using ERP/MRP systems required.

Epicor ERP experience strongly preferred.

Experience managing suppliers and purchase orders preferred.

Strong knowledge of production planning and scheduling methodologies.

Understanding of MRP, inventory management, and supply chain fundamentals.

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

Required Skills

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Ability to collaborate effectively with operations, engineering, quality, customer service, and suppliers.

Data-driven decision-making mindset.

Ability to manage changing priorities and customer demands.

Nice To Haves:

Epicor ERP experience.

APICS/ASCM Certification (CPIM or CSCP).

Experience with Lean Manufacturing principles.

Experience in precision machining, metal fabrication, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, or other high-mix manufacturing environments.

Advanced reporting and data analysis experience.