ASR Group is the world’s largest refiner and marketer of cane sugar, with an annual production capacity of more than 6 million tons of sugar. The company produces a full line of grocery, industrial, food service and specialty sweetener products. Across North America, ASR Group owns and operates six sugar refineries, located in Louisiana, New York, California, Maryland, Canada and Mexico. In the European Union, the company owns and operates sugar refineries in England, Portugal. ASR Group also owns and operates mills in Mexico and Belize. The company’s brand portfolio includes the leading brands Domino®, C&H®, Redpath®, Tate & Lyle®, Lyle’s® and Sidul®.

　　OVERVIEW

　　The Sr. Production Planner is a critical role on the Distribution Team, they provide analysis, decision-making, and planning in support of the order fulfilment process in the footprint under his/her responsibility. They are responsible for taking the overall planned needs of the organization and breaking them down into increments that can be met based on machine capacities, labor availability, machine availability and any other unforeseen operational constraints. A key aspect of this role is to actively participate in Distribution projects, inter-departmental projects and help drive towards achieving corporate strategic goals. This position can serve as a back-up role to the Distribution Manager when needed and provides developmental leadership opportunities to enhance career progression.

　　DETAILED ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

　　Conduct analysis and provide recommendations for Supply Chain cost-reduction and continuous improvement opportunities.

　　Lead or participate in project teams to plan and execute Strategic Initiatives.

　　Develop and/or improve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including cross-functional process mapping and streamlining activities.

　　Lead effort to incorporate advanced scheduling tools and optimize production planning process.

　　Primary responsibilities are similar to Production Planner, including but not limited to:

　　Allocate available sugar by deciding which lines run based on machine availability, customer priority and product profitability.

　　Create weekly production plan that will maximize line efficiency and order fulfillment, while mitigating replenishment freight expense.

　　Review Open Orders daily, identify inventory deficits, and adjust production plan as required, with a focus on order management and service levels.

　　Determine inventory location for products being made; retain in refinery warehouse or ship to 3PL warehouses.

　　Facilitate scheduling tradeoffs (efficiency / order completeness) when existing production and inventory capacity cannot meet customer demand.

　　Create and maintain production orders in SAP per production schedule.

　　Review actual vs planned production, communicate significant supply gaps and risks to Operations, Customer Service and Planning, and coordinate resolutions.

　　Primary source of contact for Customer Service inquiries as related to order fulfilment status.

　　Collaborate with MRP / Purchasing on packaging requirements to accomplish production schedule.

　　Consult with Distribution Manager on customer order placement to address trade-offs of 3PL inventory consumption vs direct from manufacturing plant shipments.

　　Coordinate execution of planned downtime (equipment overhauls / capital projects) across Operations and Planning.

　　Coordinate reverse logistics tasks for non-conforming products.

　　Support Planning on new product rollout by conducting capacity analysis, components planning, risk assessment and implement action plans.

　　Perform all other duties assigned.

　　WORK EXPERIENCES

　　Minimum of 5 years experience in Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Planning or related field

　　SAP experience required

　　Previous project management, process improvement, and / or project execution experience.

　　EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

　　BS degree in Supply Chain, Business, or Operations, or equivalent related experience

　　MS degree preferred

　　APICS certification a plus

　　ESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES)

　　Proficiency with MS Office required

　　Decision maker with strong analytical and negotiation skills

　　Strong leadership, organizational and communication skills in a cross-functional role.

　　Attention to detail with the ability to multitask and prioritize

　　Customer and Stakeholder focused

　　Excellent interpersonal relationship skills focusing on teamwork and collaboration within all levels of the business

　　Ability to derive solutions, provide recommendations and make decisions with limited information

　　Self-motivated, enthusiastic and proactive

　　Ability to quickly learn inter-departmental business processes

　　Demonstrated ability to understand issues, develop plans and set metrics to measure progress towards goals

　　Able to handle day to day tactical concerns while staying on course with long term strategic targets

　　LOCATION OF ROLE

　　Buffalo, NY

　　The pay range for this position is below. The pay rate for the successful candidate will depend on the candidate’s qualifications and prior experience.

　　Range: $69,000 to $128,000

　　For more than 100 years, our employees have taken pride in “Making Life a Little Sweeter” by providing our customers and consumers with quality service and sugar products. Our commitment to that principle drives us in all that we do and encourages us to uphold our company’s high ethical standards of business conduct to ensure our continued success.