Job Title: Production Planner / Master Scheduler
Job Description
This role leads the integrated production planning function and owns the master production schedule for a large, complex manufacturing operation. You will establish and run the Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) process, build robust planning and ERP data discipline, and translate high-level demand into executable work-center and station-level plans. Operating in a restart and scale-up environment, you will balance capacity, inventory, lead times, and operational constraints to support reliable customer deliveries while driving continuous improvement in planning effectiveness.
Responsibilities
Own and manage the master production schedule, aligning customer backlog, demand forecasts, capacity, material availability, operational constraints, and delivery commitments.
Establish and lead the SIOP process, including defining demand and capacity assumptions, developing scenario recommendations, documenting decisions, and ensuring action follow-through.
Obtain leadership approval for major commercial, spending, and capacity trade-offs and ensure alignment to a single integrated plan.
Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, Materials, Production, Quality, Finance, and other stakeholders to maintain a unified, integrated production plan.
Develop production ramp scenarios that define customer build-slot allocation, model and propulsion mix, labor requirements, station capacity and buffers, alternative production rates, and delivery impacts.
Establish schedule approval and change-control rules, including a protected near-term schedule, and manage changes within delegated authority.
Escalate schedule conflicts that affect customer commitments, spending, or capacity with clear recommended options to Operations leadership.
Ensure all scheduling activities support compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
Own the Clear-to-Build process to ensure schedules released to the production floor are fully supported by customer configuration approvals, engineering releases, BOMs and drawings, engineering change incorporation, material availability, tooling, labor and station capacity, and applicable quality requirements.
Implement and enforce readiness signoffs from responsible functions, including Procurement confirmation of critical material commitments, prior to schedule release.
Hold schedule releases when required conditions are not met and escalate proposed exceptions with documented risks, owners, and recovery actions for leadership decision.
Translate the master schedule into detailed work-center and station-level execution plans that support smooth production flow and clear floor-level accountability.
Engage regularly on the production floor with Manufacturing leadership to validate actual progress, identify constraints, and adjust plans as needed.
Verify planning-critical BOM and lead-time inputs with Engineering and Procurement, assign discrepancies to responsible data owners, and drive timely resolution to prevent shortages and delays.
Establish ERP planning data standards and validation routines for BOMs, routings, lead times, calendars, and planning parameters in collaboration with responsible functions.
Maintain planning-owned ERP parameters while coordinating closely with Engineering for technical BOM ownership and Procurement for supplier commitments.
Serve as the planning lead for Epicor implementation, stabilization, and ongoing improvement, ensuring that planning logic accurately reflects operational reality.
Use advanced Excel and ERP reporting tools to support scenario planning, capacity analysis, and data-driven decision-making.
Act as the escalation point for complex scheduling and production planning issues across programs and product platforms.
Use reliable reporting, capacity modeling, and scenario analysis to identify bottlenecks, constraints, schedule risks, and recovery opportunities, and refine assumptions as data quality improves.
Provide early warning of emerging schedule, procurement, and cross-program risks and communicate clear, data-driven recommendations to management and internal stakeholders.
Establish and lead a weekly planning performance review within the Operations management system, reporting planned versus actual station starts and completions, Clear-to-Build status, aging or stalled work in process, and delivery risks.
Track constraints by age, severity, owner, and recovery date and drive accountability for timely resolution.
Design and implement planning processes, standard work, meeting cadences, responsibilities, escalation rules, and a phased improvement roadmap that supports organizational growth.
Lead cross-functional adoption of planning processes, resolve barriers with functional leaders, and use performance results to reduce delays, improve flow, and increase schedule reliability.
Maintain direct responsibility for integrated master schedules across multiple customer programs and product platforms that share constrained manufacturing resources.
Integrate demonstrations, R&D builds, pilots, validation periods, and production releases into a single coherent capacity plan.
Operate effectively in a restart and scale-up environment by making sound planning decisions despite imperfect data, evolving requirements, and shifting priorities.
Balance customer, operational, and business priorities while using data to challenge commitments that are not feasible and propose realistic alternatives.
Perform hands-on production planning and scheduling work, acting as a production planner or master scheduler rather than a people manager, with the potential to build and lead a team over time.
Essential Skills
Bachelors degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
At least 6 years of experience in production planning, scheduling, capacity planning, or master scheduling at a level.
Experience in automotive or aerospace manufacturing environments.
Deep understanding of manufacturing processes, production planning, inventory management, material availability, capacity planning, customer delivery commitments, and SIOP.
Proven ability to manage capacity constraints, production schedules, material requirements, and manufacturing execution workflows.
Strong knowledge of ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, or similar platforms, including planning master data and scheduling logic.
Experience working within low-volume, high-mix, and engineered-to-order manufacturing environments with complex capacity constraints and long planning horizons.
Ability to incorporate equipment availability, planned downtime, and maintenance constraints into production capacity plans in coordination with Facilities and Maintenance.
Advanced proficiency with Excel and ERP reporting tools for scenario planning, capacity modeling, and performance analysis.
Demonstrated ability to lead SIOP or similar integrated planning processes across cross-functional teams.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to operate effectively with incomplete or evolving data.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working closely with Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, Materials, Production, Quality, Finance, and Operations leadership.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience as a production planner or master scheduler in a complex manufacturing environment.
Experience in automotive or aerospace transit or vehicle manufacturing is highly relevant.
Hands-on experience leading or supporting ERP implementations, particularly Epicor, including stabilization and continuous improvement.
Track record of designing and implementing planning processes, standard work, and escalation rules that improve schedule reliability.
Experience establishing and running weekly planning performance reviews and operations management routines.
Ability to develop production ramp scenarios that consider model mix, propulsion variants, labor requirements, station capacity, buffers, and delivery impacts.
Comfort operating in restart and scale-up environments where requirements and priorities may shift frequently.
Interest in building and mentoring a planning team over time as the organization grows.
Work Environment
This position is 100% on-site, with core hours typically from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with some flexibility as business needs require. The role is a direct placement position within a large transit-bus manufacturing environment. You will spend significant time walking the production floor to validate progress, understand constraints, and collaborate closely with operations teams. The work involves frequent interaction with Purchasing, Operations, Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance in a highly cross-functional setting. The environment is a restart and scale-up manufacturing setting with shared, constrained resources across multiple programs and product platforms. Appropriate protective footwear and other safety-compliant attire are required while on the production floor.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Riverside, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $126000.00 - $140000.00/yr.
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.
Comprehensive benefits package: Medical (including FSA & HSA), dental, vision, life and disability insurance, EAP, mental health, and wellness programs 401(k) with employer match Paid time off and twelve (12) paid holidays Employee referral program Career growth and development opportunities
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Riverside, CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Nov 6, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Riverside,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 (%20astoncarteraccommodation@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.
