Production Planner

Location: Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Work Setting: On-site | Full-time
Salary: $75,000–$85,000 annually
Schedule: 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off

About the Organization

Our client is a defense contractor specializing in advanced imaging  solutions. The organization develops high-performance imaging technologies designed for demanding applications. Its products support mission-critical government and commercial programs where quality, reliability, and precision are essential.

Position Overview

Our client is seeking an experienced Production Planner to join its manufacturing operations team in Colorado Springs, CO.

The Production Planner is responsible for planning and coordinating manufacturing activities based on customer requirements, production schedules, inventory availability, and material constraints. This individual will work closely with Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Shipping to ensure manufacturing orders progress efficiently through production and customer delivery requirements are met.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of Production Planner experience within a manufacturing environment, strong ERP/MRP experience, and a solid understanding of inventory, purchasing, material planning, and production scheduling. Experience in defense contracting or a related highly regulated manufacturing environment is highly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and manage manufacturing orders within the ERP system based on customer requirements and production needs.
• Develop, maintain, and monitor production schedules to support on-time customer delivery.
• Identify raw material and component shortages that could impact manufacturing schedules.
• Partner with Purchasing to address material shortages and other supply constraints.
• Expedite or defer manufacturing orders based on production priorities, inventory changes, and customer requirements.
• Coordinate manufacturing order priorities with the Production Supervisor and Manufacturing Manager.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the labor hours, machine hours, and manufacturing processes associated with each product line.
• Monitor manufacturing order status and identify issues that could prevent products from being completed on schedule.
• Provide accurate production status updates and clearly communicate causes of delays.
• Maintain accurate inventory transactions related to production and RMA requirements.
• Coordinate shipment documentation for new-build and RMA units within the ERP system.
• Ensure required customer and shipping documentation is accurate, complete, and provided by established deadlines.
• Support continuous improvement of production planning, scheduling, and material-flow processes.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Production Planner within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience working with an ERP/MRP system; experience with Sage 300 is highly desirable.
• Strong applied knowledge of forecasting, MRP, production planning, and manufacturing scheduling.
• Thorough understanding of inventory, purchasing, materials management, and warehousing disciplines.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a methodical approach to resolving production issues.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and follow-up skills.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage changing priorities with a sense of urgency.
• Ability to work independently and take appropriate action in ambiguous situations.
• Experience with demand-pull production planning methods is preferred.
• Defense or defense-contracting manufacturing experience is highly preferred.

Employment Requirements

• Must be willing and able to work on-site in Colorado Springs, CO.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen; dual citizenship is not permitted.
• Must be able to successfully pass a 10-panel drug screening.
• Must successfully complete required education verification and criminal background screening.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $75,000–$85,000 annually

Work Schedule

This position follows a 9/80 schedule, providing every other Friday off:

• Week 1: Monday–Thursday, 9 hours per day; Friday, 8 hours
• Week 2: Monday–Thursday, 9 hours per day; Friday off

Employment Requirements

Candidates must be U.S. citizens without dual citizenship, be able to obtain a U.S. security clearance, work on-site in Colorado Springs, travel domestically approximately 20%, and successfully complete education verification, a criminal background check, and a 10-panel drug screening.

The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health and welfare coverage, retirement contributions, paid time off, paid holidays, floating holidays, and a year-end company shutdown.

Financial Talent Group provides equal employment and recruiting opportunities to all employees, applicants, and recruits for employment for Financial Talent Group and in recruiting employees for its clients, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.