Capacity & Materials Planner

Imagine working at the forefront of innovation in fluid-flow technology, with over 1,400 colleagues across the globe, and contributing to a legacy of excellence that spans eight manufacturing facilities on four continents. Armstrong Fluid Technology is more than just a leader in our industry; we are a community of the brightest and most creative minds, driven by a shared mission to engineer the future and safeguard our planet.

As part of our team, you'll be immersed in an environment that fosters growth, creativity, and collaboration. Here, you'll have the opportunity to push boundaries, tackle exciting challenges, and develop cutting-edge solutions that promote energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Every day offers the chance to make a meaningful contribution to a more sustainable future, driving innovations that help lower global carbon footprints. Together, we're creating a legacy that goes beyond business—one that's changing the world for the better.

In this role of the
Materials & Capacity Planner
, you will be responsible for ensuring the effective scheduling and execution of production orders while optimizing manufacturing capacity to meet customer demand, inventory targets, and operational performance objectives. You will manage the end-to-end production planning process, balancing available capacity, material availability, and order priorities to support on-time delivery and efficient factory operations.

This role requires a forward-thinking, detail-oriented professional with strong analytical skills and a continuous improvement mindset. A strong focus on data-driven decision-making, digital planning tools, and cross-functional collaboration is essential to successfully meet business goals and drive operational excellence.

Key Accountabilities:

Production Order & Capacity Management

• Create, release, and manage production orders based on firm demand - sales orders, approved forecast, and inventory replenishment requirements, ensuring alignment with factory capacity and material availability.
• Monitor production order progress, manage rescheduling, and coordinate order priorities in response to demand fluctuations, supply constraints, and production issues.
• Collaborate with Production Office, Order Fulfillment, & Logistics to address order delays, expedite critical orders, and maintain schedule adherence.
• Maintain accurate production order data within the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system 'LN 10.7' and the planning ecosystem (Kinaxis Maestro & Planet Together), including order status updates, start and due date adjustments, and manufacturing lead times.

Capacity Planning & Factory Load Management

• Perform finite capacity planning (short-, mid-, and long-term) across production lines, balancing resource availability with demand requirements.
• Analyze capacity vs. order intake regularly to manage shopfloor workload balance, ensuring timely order execution while avoiding underutilization.
• Prioritize and sequence customer orders based on delivery commitments, material availability, and equipment readiness to drive high order burndown rate.
• Identify and mitigate scheduling conflicts or overloads using scenario planning and proactive communication with production teams.
• Optimize product mix and shift planning to maximize yield across high-volume and high-complexity SKUs while aligning to takt time targets.

Production Schedule Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Optimize production schedules to improve throughput, reduce changeovers, minimize downtime, and meet customer delivery commitments.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives targeting production planning processes, schedule adherence, lead time reduction, and capacity utilization improvements.
• Support kaizen and PDCA initiatives within the manufacturing environment, driving alignment between production scheduling and operational performance targets.

Factory Planning Collaboration & SIOP Alignment

• Participate in monthly SIOP processes, providing capacity insights, production constraints, and feasible production scenarios to support demand-supply balancing.

What We're Looking For

To thrive in this role, you should bring:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business, Supply Chain Management.
• Demonstrated experience in supply chain and logistics functions in a configured manufacturing environment.
• 5 years of production planning and work-center scheduling experience working with engineering, manufacturing and distribution operations in an industrial environment

Technical Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret production data, capacity reports, and scheduling KPIs to drive operational decisions. In-depth understanding of production order management, capacity planning, and factory scheduling principles in a multi-work center or multi-site manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems, ideally Infor LN, or similar platforms for production order and capacity management processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with advanced skills in Excel for capacity load analysis, production scheduling dashboards, and scenario modeling.
• Familiarity with finite capacity planning tools, factory planning systems, or production scheduling modules within ERP or advanced planning systems (Kinaxis, KetteQ, or equivalent preferred).
• Good knowledge of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies with practical experience in optimizing production scheduling, reducing lead times, and improving workflow efficiency.
• Strong coordination and communication skills for effective collaboration with production, procurement, planning, and customer service teams.
• Familiarity with digital shop floor management tools, visual factory boards, and production control systems for real-time schedule monitoring and performance tracking.

Soft Skills

• The capability to simplify complex problems, conduct root cause analysis, and provide clear, well-thought-out recommendations.
• Team-oriented leadership skills with a proactive approach.
• An ability to communicate openly and authentically in all situations.

Why Armstrong Fluid Technology?

By joining us, you'll become part of a global community dedicated to pushing the boundaries of fluid-flow technology while upholding Armstrong's commitment to sustainability. You'll have endless opportunities to learn, grow, and make a significant impact on the world. Together, we'll build tomorrow's solutions today.