Production Planner / Materials Coordinator - TPA Motion
TPA MotionTPA Motion | Fort Mill, South Carolina | Full-Time
TPA Motion is looking for a motivated and highly organized Production Planner / Materials Coordinator to join our team in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
This is an important role within our operations team and is ideal for someone who enjoys working in a hands-on manufacturing environment where planning, communication, problem-solving, and follow-th
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rough make a direct impact on customer satisfaction.
The Production Planner / Materials Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating production schedules, ensuring materials are available when needed, and working closely with vendors and suppliers to procure components and services required for customer projects.
Have you got what it takes to succeed The following information should be read carefully by all candidates.
Production Planning & Scheduling
• Develop and maintain production schedules based on customer requirements, project priorities, available capacity, labor, equipment, and material availability.
• Coordinate production priorities and sequencing to support on-time customer delivery.
• Monitor production progress and identify potential schedule delays before they impact customers.
• Adjust schedules as priorities, customer requirements, or material availability change.
• Work closely with production personnel to ensure jobs are released and completed according to schedule.
Materials Planning & Inventory
• Review bills of material, drawings, project requirements, and production orders to determine material needs.
• Identify raw materials, components, purchased parts, and outside services required for projects.
• Monitor inventory and identify shortages or potential shortages.
• Coordinate material requirements with the production schedule.
• Help maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess inventory.
Vendor Procurement & Supplier Management
• Communicate directly with vendors and suppliers to obtain pricing, availability, and lead-time information.
• Request and evaluate quotations based on price, quality, delivery, and supplier capability.
• Coordinate purchase orders for materials, components, and outside services.
• Follow up with suppliers to confirm orders and delivery dates.
• Expedite materials when necessary to protect production schedules.
• Develop strong working relationships with key suppliers.
• Identify alternative suppliers when necessary.
• Assist with negotiating pricing, delivery, and other purchasing terms within established company guidelines.
Project Coordination
• Work with Sales, Engineering, and Operations to understand project requirements and timing.
• Develop material and production plans for customer projects.
• Identify long-lead materials early in the project.
• Track project milestones, material status, and expected completion dates.
• Coordinate outside processing, subcontracting, fabrication, or specialty services when required.
• Communicate potential project risks and delivery issues to management.
Continuous Improvement
• Identify opportunities to improve production flow, scheduling, purchasing, and inventory management.
• Help develop standardized planning and purchasing processes.
• Monitor supplier performance and identify recurring issues.
• Use data and reporting to improve schedule adherence, material availability, inventory management, and on-time delivery.
What We’re Looking For
• 3–5 years of experience in production planning, materials planning, purchasing, supply chain, or a related manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and production scheduling.
• Experience working directly with vendors and purchasing materials or services.
• Strong organizational and follow-up skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions in a small-company environment.
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