Production Planner Senior

Job Description

Located in the heart of Central Ohio, Illuminate USA is transforming solar panel manufacturing from our cutting-edge facility in Pataskala. As a new standalone joint venture established by two global leaders in renewable energy, we’ve rapidly grown to over 1,500 associates and are now fully operational in our 1.1 million-square-foot factory. Our vision is to establish one of the largest solar panel manufacturing operations in the Western Hemisphere.

This is an exciting time to join Illuminate USA as we continue to grow and innovate. We’re not just building solar panels—we’re building a team of dedicated, passionate associates eager to make a real impact. If you’re looking to be part of a collaborative, people-focused, and forward-thinking workplace, we want to hear from you!

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and continuous opportunities for career growth. Come join us on this journey to create a brighter, more sustainable future in the Columbus area.

Illuminate USA is looking for a Production Planner to help turn our production schedule into an executable plan across eight manufacturing lines. This role works closely with Production leadership and the Planning team to confirm that equipment, staffing, materials, work orders, and changeovers are ready before production begins. When conditions change, the Production Planner identifies the impact and helps coordinate a path to recovery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Monitor production against plan, including output, schedule attainment, work-order progress, downtime, and line utilization.

• Identify production gaps, forecast their impact, and coordinate recovery actions with Production and support teams.

• Review upcoming schedules for equipment availability, maintenance, staffing, materials, quality status, engineering activities, and changeover requirements.

• Recommend schedule adjustments when production conditions make the current plan difficult to execute.

• Coordinate work-order priorities, releases, completion, and changeovers with Production and the Planning team.

• Evaluate available capacity by line and identify constraints that could affect daily or weekly output.

• Keep Production, Planning, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and Materials informed of priorities, risks, and expected completion times

• Use production data to identify recurring issues and improve schedule execution and production flow.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree required, Master’s degree preferred in Production Management, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field
• 7–10 years of experience in high-volume manufacturing, production planning, production control, operations, or a related field.
• Experience supporting live production, work orders, changeovers, capacity planning, and recovery from production disruptions.
• Undergraduate degree required, Master's degree preferred in Production Managemen

• Strong understanding of how equipment, staffing, materials, maintenance, and quality issues affect output.

• Experience with an ERP or MRP system, such as SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics.

• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

• Experience in automated manufacturing and Lean practices preferred

At Illuminate USA, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We proudly embrace equal opportunity for all, ensuring that all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Your unique background and experiences are valued here, as we believe they strengthen our team and drive our mission forward.

Illuminate is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.