Production Planner

Innofiber is a rapidly growing, private-equity-owned manufacturer of precision engineered photonic solutions, specializing in custom fiber optic cable assemblies and sub-assemblies. Our products support critical applications across medical devices, aerospace & defense, and semiconductor markets.

Operating in an ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified environment, Innofiber is deeply committed to continuous improvement, Lean manufacturing, and Kaizen. Through organic growth and acquisitions, we are building scalable, disciplined operations while maintaining the agility required for custom, engineered-to-order manufacturing.

Position Summary

The Production Controller / Production Planner is responsible for planning, scheduling, and controlling production to meet customer demand while optimizing inventory, labor, and manufacturing flow. This is a high-impact, hands-on role that requires someone who understands MRP fundamentals, Just-In-Time principles, and is not afraid to dive deep into data, transactions, and shop-floor realities to fix issues caused by prior errors, poor data, or legacy processes.

The ideal candidate is a strong problem solver, comfortable working cross-functionally, and capable of bringing structure and discipline to a fast-moving, regulated manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Control

Develop and maintain realistic, executable production schedules aligned with customer demand, capacity, and material availability.

Release, prioritize, and manage work orders to ensure on-time delivery and efficient production flow.

Balance short-term execution needs with longer-term capacity and demand planning.

MRP & Inventory Management

Own and manage MRP outputs to ensure accurate material planning, timely purchasing signals, and minimal shortages.

Identify and correct planning issues driven by inaccurate BOMs, routings, lead times, or inventory records.

Partner with Purchasing and Operations to support Just-In-Time manufacturing while maintaining appropriate safety stock for critical components.

Problem Solving & Process Correction

Proactively identify issues stemming from prior data errors, transactional mistakes, or process breakdowns — and fix them, not work around them.

Lead root cause analysis on shortages, late orders, excess inventory, and schedule instability.

Drive corrective actions that improve data integrity, planning accuracy, and execution discipline.

System Ownership (Fishbowl ERP)

Act as a key user and process owner within Fishbowl Inventory Management software.

Ensure accurate work order transactions, inventory movements, and production reporting.

Partner with IT, Quality, and Operations to improve system utilization and data reliability.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, and Customer Service to align priorities and resolve constraints.

Support new product introductions (NPI), engineering changes, and process improvements from a planning and execution standpoint.

Communicate clearly and confidently with stakeholders when plans need to change.

Continuous Improvement

Apply Lean, Kaizen, and continuous improvement principles to planning and scheduling processes.

Reduce waste, improve flow, and increase schedule adherence through smarter planning and better data.

Develop and track key metrics such as schedule attainment, WIP levels, inventory turns, and on-time delivery.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field preferred.

5+ years of experience in production planning, production control, or manufacturing scheduling.

Experience in medical device or other regulated manufacturing environments strongly preferred.

Technical Skills

Strong understanding of MRP principles, demand planning, capacity planning, and inventory control.

Hands-on experience supporting Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing environments.

Experience with Fishbowl Inventory Management software strongly preferred.

Proficiency in Excel and comfort working with complex datasets.

Personal Attributes

Natural problem solver who enjoys “getting into the weeds” to fix broken processes.

Comfortable challenging the status quo and driving corrective action.

Highly organized, detail-oriented, and disciplined in execution.

Thrives in a fast-paced, evolving manufacturing environment.

Why Innofiber?

At Innofiber, this role is more than production scheduling — it’s about building scalable, disciplined operations that support rapid growth and high-reliability products. You’ll have real ownership, visibility, and the opportunity to make meaningful improvements that directly impact customer satisfaction and business performance.