Production Planner Specialist

Gotion’s Manufacturing Operations team is seeking a driven Production Planner to support production execution and capacity planning at our Manteno, Illinois manufacturing facility. This role will work closely with manufacturing and cross-functional partners to establish and execute 0–1 production planning processes for battery module manufacturing, with rapid expansion as cell manufacturing operations are launched. The Production Planner will play a key role in translating demand into executable schedules, analyzing capacity constraints, and supporting production ramp-up across multiple lines. This position is suited for candidates with 2–5 years of experience who are comfortable operating in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and are eager to grow as the operation scales.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain production schedules aligned with demand, capacity, and material availability; Analyze production capacity and demand to support near-term execution and longer-term planning decisions; Partner with manufacturing, supply chain, materials, and engineering teams to improve planning processes, including batch sizing, material flow, and production controls; Respond to unplanned events (production shortfalls, material shortages, schedule changes) by providing impact analysis and recovery options; Generate and publish production metrics, forecasts, and performance reports to identify risks and improvement opportunities; Communicate production plans, revisions, and performance updates to manufacturing leadership and cross-functional stakeholders; Support implementation and improvement of inventory control and material planning processes; Participate in continuous improvement initiatives as manufacturing operations ramp and mature; Perform additional duties as assigned to support evolving business needs

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain Management, or equivalent experience; 2+ years of experience in production planning, manufacturing operations, or a related role; Strong proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint for data analysis and communication; Experience building and maintaining reports, models, and presentations to support decision-making; Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, on-site manufacturing environment; Strong problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills; Hands-on experience supporting production schedules and daily execution in a manufacturing environment; Ability to analyze data, identify issues, and escalate risks with guidance; Comfortable working cross-functionally with manufacturing and support teams; Willingness to learn and grow as processes and systems are built from the ground up; Demonstrated experience owning production schedules and capacity analysis in a high-volume manufacturing environment; Experience independently building analytical models, dashboards, or tools to support planning decisions; Proven ability to identify process gaps and drive planning and execution improvements; Confidence communicating plans, risks, and recommendations to leadership

Nice to have

Experience working with ERP/MRP systems preferred (SAP a plus); Proficiency with Power BI or similar data visualization tools strongly preferred