Production Planner

Who We Are

At BMI Merchandise ®, we’re in the business of fun! And we take it pretty seriously!

BMI Merchandise, founded in 1986 has evolved to become the amusement industry's leader in redemption technology and a top distributor of products. We source and distribute trendy toys, electronics, candy, gifts, and novelty items to amusement and family entertainment centers worldwide.

Production Planner

The Production Planner owns the daily and weekly production schedule and the information that drives it. This role extracts demand and order data from the ERP and business intelligence reporting environment, builds a production plan that sequences work against customer due dates and available capacity, and ensures that the commercial and operational sides of the business are working from the same picture.

The position sits between customer commitments and shop-floor capability. The person in it must be comfortable stating what the line can realistically produce and by when, and then holding that plan accountable through consistent measurement. Success is defined less by the production of reports than by the quality of the decisions those reports enable.

Responsibilities/Duties:

• Assemble and maintain the recurring reporting set that supports production planning — open order backlog, due-date exposure, material availability, and line output — drawing from the ERP system and business intelligence tools, and own the accuracy of that reporting at the source
• Sequence production orders against customer due dates, available capacity, and material readiness using the organization's planning tools
• Identify scheduling conflicts early, present trade-offs, and escalate promptly when a commitment cannot be met without a decision above the Planner's authority
• Rebalance the plan as priorities, material shortages, or unplanned downtime change conditions during the week
• Publish the production plan on a fixed cadence to both sales and operations, in a format each audience can act on
• Lead or contribute to the recurring production review, covering what is scheduled, what is at risk, and what has changed since the prior cycle
• Define, build, and maintain the KPI set that describes line performance, including schedule attainment, run time and uptime, changeover time, output per labor hour, and on-time delivery to promise
• Establish baselines, report trends, and provide enough interpretation of KPI data for leadership to act on
• Partner with sales administration to align production commitments with customer demand, including reviewing incoming order volume for feasibility, communicating realistic lead times, and coordinating expedites, partial shipments, and date changes
• Serve as trained back-up for sales order entry, providing coverage during absences and periods of peak volume

Qualifications/Skills:

• 3+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, materials planning, or a closely related operations role within a manufacturing environment
• Working proficiency in an ERP system, including order, inventory, routing, and bill-of-material data structures
• Strong Excel skills and practical experience with a business intelligence platform, including building and maintaining reports rather than only consuming them
• Demonstrated ability to define, baseline, and report operational KPIs
• Clear written and verbal communication, with the judgment to know what each audience needs to hear and when
• Ability to operate effectively amid competing priorities and incomplete information
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations management, business, industrial engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience such as military service in a planning, logistics, operations, or maintenance role will be considered
• Exposure to lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other structured continuous improvement methodologies preferred
• Experience supporting or participating in a sales and operations planning process preferred

Measures of Success:

• Within the first ninety days: own the weekly production plan end to end, with the recurring reporting set running reliably and without manual rework
• Within six months: a defined KPI package in place with established baselines, and a measurable, trackable trend in both schedule attainment and run-time performance

Work Environment/Physical Requirements:

• Operates in both an office and a manufacturing plant environment, with regular presence on the production floor
• Exposure to noise, moving machinery, and varying temperatures; personal protective equipment required in designated areas
• Prolonged periods of computer work and occasional lifting of up to 25 lbs.

Department:  Operations

Location:  Cinnaminson, NJ

Job Type:  Full-time, exempt

Salary:  Based on experience

Benefits:  We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid vacation, life insurance, FSA, and a 401(k) retirement plan.

Diversity:  All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.