Asst. Manager - PPC

Job Description: Production Planning Engineer / Executive

Job Title Production Planning Engineer / Production Planning Executive

Department Production Planning & Control (PPC)

Reports To Operations Manager 

Job Summary

The Production Planning Engineer is responsible for planning, scheduling, and coordinating manufacturing activities to ensure on-time delivery of customer orders while maximizing production efficiency. The role involves evaluating material kit readiness, machine and manpower capacity, and production constraints to develop realistic production schedules for PCBA, Cable Harness Assembly, and Box Build operations.

The ideal candidate should have strong knowledge of electronics manufacturing processes, ERP systems, material planning, and production capacity planning, with the ability to balance customer priorities, inventory availability, and manufacturing resources.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules based on customer demand and delivery commitments.
  
• Create achievable production plans for PCBA, Cable Harness Assembly, and Box Build manufacturing lines.
  
• Prioritize production orders based on customer requirements, material availability, and production capacity.
  
• Coordinate production schedules to optimize machine utilization, labor efficiency, and throughput.
  
• Monitor schedule adherence and proactively adjust plans to address changes in demand or production constraints.
  

Material Kit Availability

• Review CTB to ensure complete material kit availability before releasing jobs to production.
  
• Coordinate with Procurement, Stores, and Supply Chain teams to resolve material shortages and expedite critical components.
  
• Monitor shortages, back orders, and expected deliveries to minimize production disruptions.
  
• Ensure timely staging and kitting of materials for production.
  
• Track critical and long lead-time components and escalate supply risks.
  

Capacity Planning

• Analyze production capacity across SMT, THT, Cable Harness Assembly, Testing, Box Build, and Final Assembly operations.
  
• Balance workloads based on available machines, manpower, and production hours.
  
• Identify bottlenecks and recommend actions to improve capacity utilization.
  
• Support line balancing and production optimization initiatives.
  
• Develop finite production plans considering equipment availability, preventive maintenance schedules, and resource constraints.
  

Coordination & Execution

• Work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Stores, Procurement, and Customer Service teams to ensure smooth production flow.
  
• Conduct daily production review meetings and monitor work order status.
  
• Communicate schedule changes and production priorities to relevant stakeholders.
  
• Ensure production orders are released with complete documentation and approved process instructions.
  

Production Monitoring

• Track Work-in-Progress (WIP) and ensure timely movement through manufacturing stages.
  
• Monitor production output against plan and investigate schedule deviations.
  
• Prepare daily production status reports and recovery plans for delayed orders.
  
• Ensure timely closure of work orders in ERP.
  

Inventory & Planning Control

• Maintain optimum WIP and inventory levels.
  
• Monitor excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.
  
• Support inventory accuracy through cycle counts and reconciliation.
  
• Coordinate engineering change implementation with minimum inventory impact.
  

Continuous Improvement

• Improve production planning accuracy and schedule adherence.
  
• Reduce production downtime caused by material shortages.
  
• Participate in Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
  
• Analyze planning performance using production data and recommend process improvements.
  

ERP & Reporting

• Create and manage production orders in ERP/MRP systems.
  
• Maintain planning parameters, routing information, and manufacturing calendars.
  
• Generate reports on:
  
• Production plan vs. actual
  
• Material shortages
  
• Capacity utilization
  
• WIP status
  
• Delivery performance
  
• Schedule adherence
  
• Resource utilization
  

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-Time Delivery (OTD).
  
• Production Schedule Adherence.
  
• Material Kit Readiness before production release.
  
• Capacity Utilization.
  
• Production Plan vs. Actual Achievement.
  
• Work-in-Progress (WIP) Levels.
  
• Manufacturing Lead Time.
  
• Line Downtime due to Material Shortages.
  
• Inventory Accuracy.
  
• Customer Delivery Performance.
  

Working Conditions

• Manufacturing environment with regular interaction between Production, Stores, Procurement, Engineering, and Quality teams.
  
• Frequent presence on the shop floor to monitor production progress and resolve planning issues.
  

Career Progression

Production Planning Executive → Senior Production Planner → → Production Planning Manager → Supply Chain & Planning Manager → Operations Manager

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Production Engineering, or a related discipline.
  
• 3–8 years of experience in Production Planning within an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) environment.
  
• Experience in PCBA, Cable Harness Assembly, and Box Build manufacturing is preferred.
  

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of electronics manufacturing processes, including SMT, THT, Cable Harness Assembly, Testing, and Box Build.
  
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar).
  
• Good understanding of BOM structures, production routing, and work order management.
  
• Experience in production scheduling and finite capacity planning.
  
• Strong understanding of material planning and inventory management.
  
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for planning and data analysis.
  
• Knowledge of production KPIs and manufacturing performance metrics.
  

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  
• Excellent planning and organizational abilities.
  
• Effective communication and cross-functional coordination.
  
• Ability to prioritize multiple customer orders and changing production requirements.
  
• Strong decision-making skills under tight deadlines.
  
• Attention to detail and a proactive approach to resolving planning issues.