Production Planner ERP Lead

Summary:

Reporting to the Director, Packaging and Operations Planning, the Production Planner ERP Lead is a key driver in supporting the implementation of the organization’s new Oracle ERP system as it relates to manufacturing and packaging planning and scheduling.

This role partners closely with existing planners to gain a deep understanding of current production processes, equipment capabilities, product flows, and scheduling practices. The successful applicant will also gain a thorough understanding of the organization’s current ERP environment and how planning and scheduling activities are executed today.

Leveraging experience in Oracle planning and scheduling functionality, the Production Planner ERP Lead will act as the subject matter expert for production planning within the ERP implementation project. The role will work closely with internal stakeholders and the ERP implementation team to translate operational requirements into system configuration, ensure planning processes are effectively designed within Oracle, and support testing, validation, and transition to the new platform.

Acting as the primary liaison between operational teams and the ERP project team, this role ensures the system reflects operational needs while maintaining data integrity and continuity.

Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities for this position:

Operational Discovery & Process Understanding

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of current manufacturing and packaging planning process, workflows, equipment capabilities and operational constraints.
• Document current state planning processes, workflows, and decision points to support ERP implementation design activities.
• Gain working knowledge of the organization’s current ERP planning functionality and how production plans, job orders, and scheduling activities are managed today.

ERP Implementation Leadership – Production Planning

• Serve as the subject matter expert for production planning and scheduling processes within the Oracle ERP implementation.
• Collaborate with the ERP project team, IT, and implementation partners to translate operational planning requirements into system design and configuration, including work order management, scheduling logic, capacity planning, and MRP functionality.
• Participate in ERP design workshops, system configuration reviews, and process validation activities.

Cross-Functional Liaison

·       Act as the primary liaison between manufacturing and packaging planners and the ERP implementation team to gather requirements and ensure alignment between operational needs and system capabilities.

·       Communicate ERP system changes, new planning processes, and implementation impacts to operational teams to support readiness and adoption.

·       Provide regular progress updates to senior leadership on ERP implementation status, including milestones, risks, and upcoming project activities.

System Testing, Validation & Readiness

·       Support testing activities related to production planning functionality, including developing and executing test scripts, validating data conversions and reporting outputs.

·       Validate planning outputs such as work order generation, MRP signals, scheduling logic, and capacity assumptions, identifying and resolving gaps between system functionality and operational requirements.

Data Integrity, Configuration & Planning Structure

·       Support the development, migration, and validation of planning related master data including item planning parameters, lead times, batch sizes, and capacity settings within the Oracle ERP environment.

·       Work with the ERP implementation team to review system configurations and ensure planning structures, parameters, and outputs align with operational requirements and GMP considerations.

·       Validate planning related data conversions, system outputs, and reporting to ensure production plans, work orders, and scheduling logic function accurately within the new ERP platform.

Change Management & Operational Transition

• Support the planning team in preparing for the transition to Oracle by assisting with process documentation, training materials, and system adoption activities.
• Provide guidance to planners and schedulers on new planning processes and system functionality.
• Assist with stabilization and issue resolution during ERP go live and early post implementation phases.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve planning efficiency, system utilization, and coordination between production, supply chain, and customer demand.
• Contribute to the development of future-state planning processes enabled by the Oracle platform.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience Required:

·       7–10 years of experience in production planning, supply chain planning, or operations within a manufacturing environment.

·       Experience in OTC, NHP, pharmaceutical, food, or other regulated manufacturing environments preferred.

·       Strong experience working with ERP production planning systems.

·       Experience participating in or supporting an ERP implementation, system upgrade, or major system transformation project is highly desirable

Education, Certification, Licenses & Registrations:

·        Post-secondary education in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.

·        APICS / ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP) considered a strong asset

Skills

·       Leadership and team coordination skills.

·       Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities.

·       Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

·       Strong understanding of production planning, capacity management, and inventory optimization.

·       Experience with ERP systems in a manufacturing environment.

·       Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

·       Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive results in a fast-paced operational environment.

·       High level of professionalism, organization, and attention to detail.

Physical Demands:

·        Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

·        Frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, handling documents and operating office equipment

·        Ability to lift and carry office supplies, files or small packages up to approximately 20 lbs (9kg)

·        Occasional standing, walking, bending or reaching

·        Visual acuity required for reading printed materials and viewing a computer screen

·        Ability to communicate clearly in person, over the phone and in writing