Production Planner

Position summary Founded in 1923 in central Massachusetts, Gavitt Wire & Cable Company designs and manufactures custom, highly engineered wire and cable products for demanding markets including aviation, military, industrial, medical, and sports & entertainment. We pride ourselves on prompt, accurate service, design expertise, and rigorous in‑process monitoring, ensuring the quality and reliability our customers expect. Guided by honesty and hands‑on leadership, top management oversees daily operations and gives every inquiry, order, and concern individual attention. The Production Planner turns customer orders and forecasts into a feasible, cost-effective schedule across our wire and cable lines — from insulation, cabling, jacketing, and final test. You balance machine capacity, copper and compound availability, setup changes, and customer due dates so the plant ships on time with minimal scrap and changeover loss. Key responsibilities Scheduling and capacity planning Build and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules for bunching/stranding, extrusion (insulation and jacketing), cabling, armoring, and spooling/packaging lines. Sequence orders to minimize changeovers — grouping by conductor size, compound, color, and print legend — while protecting customer due dates. Run rough-cut and finite capacity planning; flag bottleneck lines (typically extrusion and cabling) and recommend overtime, outsourcing, or line moves. Balance work-in-process between stages so intermediate reels (drawn wire, insulated conductors, cabled cores) are ready when downstream lines need them. Materials and inventory Run MRP and convert planned orders into work orders in the ERP system. Coordinate with purchasing on copper and aluminum rod, PVC, XLPE, PE, LSZH and other compounds, tapes, fillers, armor wire, reels, and packaging. Track reel and length inventory, remnants (short lengths), and cut-to-length requirements; route remnants to orders that can use them. Help set safety stock and reorder points for high-runner products and raw materials. Order management and customer service Review incoming orders for feasibility, lead time, and reel/length requirements; provide realistic ship dates to customer service and sales. Manage expedites and schedule changes, communicating the impact on other orders clearly. Track on-time delivery and maintain open-order and backlog reports. Cross-functional coordination Lead or take part in daily production meetings with operations, quality, maintenance, and shipping. Plan around preventive maintenance, die and tooling availability, and line trials for new products. Work with Quality on holds, rework, and retests (spark, conductor resistance, high-voltage, dimensional) so schedules reflect real yield. Partner with engineering on new product introductions, routings, and bills of materials. Reporting and continuous improvement Report schedule attainment, on-time delivery, line utilization/OEE, changeover time, scrap, and inventory turns. Keep routings, run rates, and setup times in the ERP accurate so plans match the floor. Identify and lead improvements in planning tools, sequencing rules, and lead-time reduction. Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in supply chain, industrial engineering, operations management, business, or a related field — or equivalent experience. 3+ years of production planning or scheduling in a manufacturing environment. Solid grasp of MRP logic, bills of materials, routings, and lead times. Preferred Experience in wire and cable, extrusion, or another continuous/semi-continuous process industry. Familiarity with cable constructions (medical, aerospace, control, instrumentation, communication, or cable) and industry standards such as UL, CSA, NEMA, ICEA, or IEC. Experience with finite or advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software. Lean manufacturing or Six Sigma training. Advanced Excel skills: pivot tables, lookups, and building scheduling or ca…

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