Production Planner

Reference Number : 697

Status : Permanent - Full-time

Annual Salary / Hourly Rate : $77 112 - $95 256

Number of positions to be filled : 1

Application Deadline : 02/23/2025

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility.

Reporting to the Senior Master Planner of Equipment Planning, the Production Planner is responsible for developing, coordinating, and executing production plans to meet the maintenance program objectives, service level requirements, and project needs. This role works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to monitor progress, address risks, and optimize the use of resources, space, and equipment while ensuring rolling stock availability.

**Responsibilities**:

- Lead and coordinate the work performed by the production team by controlling and monitoring all activities related to outstanding tasks, ensuring the smooth execution of production operations;
- Execute planning activities by preparing schedules, communicating updates, maintaining planning tools (e.g., CMMIS, Interal, WinProd, eLogbook), coordinating special requests and movements, adhering to targets, and identifying risks to support informed decision-making;
- Schedule work on equipment by planning maintenance activities in line with production targets, rolling stock availability, and resource/space constraints, while maximizing work completion during equipment downtime;
- Produce and develop performance reports to support departmental objectives, ensuring equipment follow-up information and assignments are up to date. Maintain spreadsheets to track equipment status (e.g., in service, in storage, in projects, on/off-site, serviceable or non-serviceable) with all pertinent details;
- Participate in production meetings to manage targets and risks by identifying production targets, slippages, and deviations. Collaborate with production teams to develop, review, and communicate recovery plans. Identify bottlenecks between schedules and demands, present solutions to scheduling risks, and facilitate problem-solving;
- Act as a liaison with departments such as Network Planning, Customer Experience, Revenue Management, and Technical Services to ensure rolling stock availability. Coordinate with production, the Control Centre, and the Planning team to manage equipment transfers and sequencing, ensuring all work requirements are met.

**Requirements**:

- University degree in operations management, administration, engineering, or a related field, or at least 5 years of experience in a production environment, including 1-2 years in planning;
- Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite; advanced functions of Microsoft Excel;
- Familiarity with planning tools such as IBM Maximo, Power Query and Power BI is an asset;
- Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments;
- Bilingual (oral and written);
- Organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities;
- Ability to adapt to changing work priorities in a fast-paced environment;
- Problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to identifying challenges;
- Must be available to work all weekends.

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

Join our 3,000 other employees in helping provide Canadians with a safe, accessible, environmentally sustainable way to travel