Production Planner

Description

Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose.

At Lactalis in the USA, we’re committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive—whether you’re just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we’re proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together.

In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani® Italian cheeses and ricotta, Président® specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft® natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone’s® cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel®, Black Diamond® cheddar, and Parmalat® milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi’s®, Stonyfield Organic®, Brown Cow™, Oui®, Yoplait®, Go-Gurt®, :ratio®, Green Mountain Creamery®, and Mountain High®, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun®, Gopi®, and Arz®.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values—Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy. 

From your PASSION to ours

Lactalis Heritage Dairy, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Production Planner based in Tulare, CA.

The Production Planner is responsible for production scheduling, materials planning, inventory management, and logistics coordination to support efficient manufacturing operations and customer service objectives. This role utilizes SAP and planning systems to ensure the availability of raw materials, packaging, labor, and finished goods while optimizing inventory levels, plant performance, warehouse capacity, and supply chain costs.

The position works closely with Operations, Procurement, Quality, Finance, Distribution, Transportation, Maintenance, and Warehouse teams to support production execution, inventory accuracy, continuous improvement initiatives, and compliance with food safety and quality standards.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, maintain, and execute daily and weekly production schedules using SAP planning tools.

• Coordinate production requirements across multiple business segments while optimizing line capacity, labor resources, and run strategies.

• Monitor production performance, schedule adherence, attainment, case fill, and plant execution.

• Manage production orders using SAP transactions including COOIS, COOGIS, Confirmations, TECO, and WIP reporting.

• Review and prioritize production using daily shortage lists and material availability analysis.

• Upload and validate production files and SAP scheduling data.

• Generate and analyze attainment reports, production metrics, and operational performance indicators.

• Support product launches, trials, discontinuations, and master data maintenance activities.

Materials Planning & Inventory Management

• Utilize SAP MRP and inventory management tools to support procurement, order tracking, and material planning activities.

• Manage inventories of ingredients, packaging, semi-finished goods, and finished products to meet service and inventory targets.

• Create purchase orders (POs) and support procurement activities for production materials and supplies.

• Coordinate material receipts, transfers, inventory transactions, and warehouse movements.

• Monitor inventory accuracy, aging inventory, shelf-life compliance, and cycle count programs.

• Partner with Procurement and Operations to resolve material shortages and supply constraints.

• Coordinate product disposition activities, including donation loads, rework, liquidation, and waste reduction initiatives.

Logistics & Distribution

• Coordinate inbound materials, outbound shipments, interplant transfers, and transportation activities.

• Support warehouse capacity planning, inventory flow, and shipment optimization.

• Work with Distribution and Warehouse teams to ensure inventory availability and customer service requirements are met.

SAP Systems, Reporting & Analysis

• Maintain inventory and production data integrity within SAP.

• Generate and distribute production, inventory, shortage, WIP, attainment, and KPI reports.

• Monitor and resolve SAP transaction discrepancies and system issues.

• Utilize SAP, BI Reporting, Crystal Reports, Historian, OEE systems, Dairy.com, and Microsoft Office tools to support operational decision-making.

• Analyze scheduling, inventory, and production performance trends and recommend improvements.

Continuous Improvement & Compliance

• Participate in cross-functional initiatives focused on operational excellence, inventory accuracy, waste reduction, and process improvement.

• Support root cause analysis, corrective actions, and implementation of best practices.

• Assist with training related to planning systems, inventory control, food safety, quality, and workplace safety.

• Ensure compliance with food safety standards, GMPs, QMS requirements, company policies, and regulatory requirements.

• Serve as backup for other materials and planning team members and complete special projects as assigned.

Leadership

• Ability to provide direct leadership and supervision to a team or direct report, motivating the team, resolving conflicts, informing, managing and measuring work will all be components of an effective leader in this role.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business, Operations Management, Logistics, or related field preferred.

• 2+ years of experience in production scheduling, materials planning, inventory control, logistics, or supply chain operations.

• Food, dairy, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing experience preferred.

• Experience with SAP ERP, SAP MRP, APO, or similar planning systems preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of manufacturing, inventory management, production planning, logistics, and supply chain processes.

• Advanced SAP proficiency in production scheduling.

• Advanced Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office skills.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.

• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

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

• Knowledge of food safety, GMPs, inventory control, and warehouse operations.

• Demonstrated leadership, continuous improvement, and project management capabilities.

Requirements

At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities. Further, any division of the Company that is an Affirmative Action Employer will comply with all related legal obligations.