Production Planning and Logistics Manager

Description

The Production Planning and Logistics Manager is responsible for being the liaison between operations, supply chain, sales, intra-plant tolling and procurement. This role has direct ownership over production planning, and all plant inbound and outbound logistics. This role ensures production plans, material availability, and inventory movements are accurately aligned to support safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations. The position requires strong system acumen, operational awareness, and proactive problem-solving to prevent supply disruptions and optimize production utilization and oversight. This position is located at the MPP Plant Operations Building and is part of the MPP production team. 

This is a hands-on individual contributor role with broad ownership of production planning and plant logistics. The position does not have direct reports.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Prepare and facilitate daily production meetings with key production/engineering/maintenance personnel. 
• Assist production personnel in creating operator/bulk unloader work instructions. 
• Attend shift supervisor meetings to ensure work instructions match production and order requirements.
• Review and maintain the production plan within the planning / ERP system to ensure material availability aligns with production schedules and demand requirements.
• Coordinate daily with intra-plant tolling resources. 
• Verify that raw material and component purchase orders are placed at appropriate lead times and maintained to support production without shortages or excess inventory.
• Facilitate weekly refinery demand reviews to ensure production rates are aligned with demand and storage capacity constraints, with particular focus on by-products requiring continuous monitoring.
• Ensure subcontracting components are issued in a timely manner to support accurate purchase order receipt and completion of subcontracted production.

Logistics & Rail Operations

• Submit and manage railcar switch requests as needed throughout the week to support on-time order fulfillment.
• Coordinate railcar availability and storage locations to ensure by-products always have an appropriate disposition and do not constrain plant operations.
• Collaborate with logistics and operations teams to resolve rail, truck, and storage conflicts impacting production or shipments.
• Serve as the MPP point of contact for our short-line carrier (Palmetto Rail) and manage all operational aspects of the partnership. 

Employment Type & Schedule

• Full-time position.
• Primarily day shift - typical hours 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM, must be flexible to work outside of these hours.

Requirements

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Engineering, Business, or equivalent experience. 
• 2-5 years of experience in production planning, scheduling, or logistics, preferably within a chemical or continuous-process manufacturing environment.
• Experience in production planning, scheduling, or supply chain roles within manufacturing, chemical, or refinery environments.
• Strong working knowledge of planning and execution systems, with ERP system experience preferred. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a plus. High level of system acumen with the ability to interpret, maintain, and troubleshoot planning and inventory data.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with refinery operations, by-product management, or constrained storage environments.
• Familiarity with railcar logistics, switching processes, and bulk material handling.
• Understanding of planning, scheduling, and subcontracting processes and inventory ownership concepts in ERP systems.
• APICS CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) certification, or demonstrated progress toward CPIM certification, is a plus.

Key Competencies

•  Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on supply chain management and inventory planning.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and stakeholder management.
• Attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic operating environment.
• Proactive mindset with a focus on preventing disruptions rather than reacting to them. 

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Work performed in office, laboratory, and plant production areas
• Ability to access and inspect production equipment, including climbing ladders and working in elevated areas
• Must be able to wear required PPE and safely work around chemicals and industrial equipment
• Exposure to industrial conditions including noise, heat, and chemical odors