6 free, editable templates for production planner, scheduler, material/MRP planner, master scheduler, coordinator, and manufacturing roles, with the ERP/MRP, APICS, and FLSA guidance generic templates skip. Built for small manufacturers. Download as DOCX.
A production planner schedules and coordinates manufacturing so a company hits customer due dates without overbuilding inventory. For a small manufacturer, hiring one well is a turning point: it moves scheduling out of the owner's head and a spreadsheet into a documented, repeatable process. But a good posting needs more than a duties list. It needs to name your ERP or MRP system, decide whether APICS certification matters, and classify the role correctly under the FLSA. Those are exactly the points generic templates skip.
These six templates cover the role across its variations: production planner, production scheduler, material or MRP planner, master scheduler, production coordinator, and an industry-specific manufacturing planner. Each is editable and built for a small shop, with ERP/MRP, certification, and classification guidance included, and downloads as a DOCX. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
A production planner schedules manufacturing and plans materials so a shop meets due dates without excess inventory, working mainly in an ERP or MRP system. It maps to the federal occupation production, planning, and expediting clerks (median in the high $50,000s). A discretionary planner is usually exempt; a routine coordinator may be non-exempt. Name your ERP system and decide whether APICS CPIM is required or preferred. Download six editable templates as DOCX, built for small manufacturers.
What a Production Planner Does
A production planner schedules and coordinates manufacturing so a company meets due dates while controlling inventory. The work centers on building the production schedule, planning material requirements, releasing work orders, balancing capacity, and keeping the floor, purchasing, and sales aligned, almost all of it inside an ERP or MRP system.
The federal occupation is production, planning, and expediting clerks, which lists production planner, production scheduler, material requirements planner, and materials planner among its sample job titles. At a small manufacturer the planner often owns the entire schedule; at a larger plant, planning and scheduling may split across separate roles.
Production Planner Duties and Responsibilities
Production planner duties cluster into four areas: scheduling and work orders, materials and inventory, capacity and coordination, and systems and reporting. A strong job description picks the responsibilities that match your shop and the level you are hiring, rather than listing every possible task.
Scheduling and work orders
Build and maintain the production schedule
Release and prioritize work orders
Adjust for rush orders, downtime, and delays
Materials and inventory
Plan material requirements and reorder points
Trigger purchasing to avoid shortages
Balance inventory against cash and demand
Capacity and coordination
Balance capacity, labor, and machine time
Coordinate floor, purchasing, sales, and shipping
Resolve bottlenecks and constraints
Systems and reporting
Maintain accurate ERP or MRP data
Report on schedule attainment and lead times
Track on-time delivery and output
A coordinator weights execution and tracking; a master scheduler weights strategy and capacity planning. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by the title and level you are hiring for. The structure is the same across all six, but each emphasizes the duties, systems, and classification that fit a specific role. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
Production Planner
Small manufacturer
The flagship version for a small shop: own the schedule end to end, plan materials and capacity, and keep the floor, purchasing, and sales aligned.
Production Scheduler
Day-to-day sequencing
Nearly the same role with a sharper focus on daily and weekly sequencing: turning orders into a workable schedule and reacting to changes.
Material / MRP Planner
Materials and inventory
Centers on materials: running MRP, managing reorder points and lead times, and keeping production supplied without excess inventory.
Master Scheduler
Senior, owns the MPS
A senior role owning the master production schedule and balancing demand against capacity. Typically exempt, often APICS-certified.
Production Coordinator
Entry-level execution
A junior, execution-focused role: tracking work orders, expediting materials, and keeping records. Often non-exempt.
Manufacturing Planner
Industry-specific
The shop-floor version tied to a specific industry, working hands-on with operators, purchasing, and quality to hit demand.
Match the Template to the Role
Small shop, one planner owning the schedule: Production Planner. Day-to-day sequencing: Production Scheduler. Materials and inventory focus: Material / MRP Planner. Senior, owns the master schedule: Master Scheduler. Entry-level execution: Production Coordinator. Industry-specific shop floor: Manufacturing Planner. For most small manufacturers making a first planning hire, the Production Planner version is the right starting point.
6 Free Production Planner Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single editable Word document, or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications with ERP/MRP and certification blocks, a compensation block, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets, name your system, and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
Production planner, scheduler, material/MRP planner, master scheduler, coordinator, and manufacturing. One editable DOCX.
Template 1: Production Planner (Small Manufacturer)
The flagship version for a small shop: own the schedule end to end, plan materials and capacity, and keep the floor, purchasing, and sales aligned. Includes a fill-in block for your ERP system.
Production Planner Job Description (Small Manufacturer)
PRODUCTION PLANNER JOB DESCRIPTION (SMALL MANUFACTURER)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: __ (Operations / Plant Manager / Owner)
Nearly the same role with a sharper focus on daily and weekly sequencing: turning orders into a workable schedule and reacting to changes on the floor.
[Company Name] is hiring a Manufacturing Production Planner to plan and schedule
production in our [industry] operation. You will own the build schedule, plan
materials and capacity, and keep production aligned with customer demand and
quality requirements. This role suits a planner who knows a real shop floor and
can work hands-on with operators, purchasing, and quality.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Plan and schedule production runs to meet demand
•Coordinate materials, capacity, and labor on the floor
•Release work orders and manage the production queue
•Track output, scrap, lead times, and on-time delivery
•Work with quality to meet ISO or customer requirements
•Manage planning data in the ERP or MRP system
•Drive continuous improvement and reduce bottlenecks
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent; associate or bachelor's a plus
•Manufacturing production planning or scheduling experience
•Comfort with an ERP or MRP system on a real shop floor
•Knowledge of capacity planning and inventory control
PREFERRED
•ERP/MRP system experience (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics 365, Epicor, NetSuite, Fishbowl)
•APICS/ASCM CPIM certification
•Lean manufacturing or ISO 9001 experience
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
ERP/MRP, APICS, and FLSA
This is the part the generic templates skip, and it is what separates a posting that attracts the right planner from one that draws a flood of mismatches: naming your system, deciding on certification, classifying the role correctly, and specifying quality experience. Get these right and the posting does your first round of filtering for you.
Name your ERP or MRP system in the posting
The single biggest thing generic templates leave vague is the system. A production planner lives in your ERP or MRP software all day, and experience in your specific system is one of the strongest predictors of a fast ramp. Name it explicitly in the posting, whether it is SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Epicor, NetSuite, Fishbowl, or another platform. If you would train the right person on your system, say that too. Being specific here filters applicants better than any generic skills list, and it tells candidates you run a real planning operation. The templates above include a fill-in block for exactly this.
Decide if APICS/ASCM certification is required or preferred
APICS, now part of ASCM, offers the CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) and CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) credentials that are common in production planning. For a small manufacturer, these are usually a preference rather than a hard requirement, since experience and ERP familiarity matter more for a first planner. Decide up front whether you require, prefer, or do not need a certification, and state it clearly. Treating it as preferred widens your candidate pool while still signaling that you value formal planning knowledge. The templates include a required-versus-preferred toggle for this.
Classify the role correctly under the FLSA
A production planner who exercises real planning discretion, deciding schedules, balancing capacity, and making judgment calls, typically qualifies for the FLSA administrative exemption and is salaried. A routine expediter or coordinator role that mostly carries out instructions may be non-exempt and overtime-eligible. The federal salary threshold for the administrative exemption is $684 per week, which is $35,568 per year, and the title alone does not decide status: the duties and salary do. Classify against what the person actually does. Some states set higher thresholds. This is general information, not legal advice.
Specify lean, ISO, and quality experience if it matters
Many small manufacturers run to ISO 9001 or a customer quality standard, and a planner who understands lean concepts and quality requirements integrates faster. If your shop is ISO-certified or pursuing lean, name that experience as a requirement or a plus, and connect it to how the planner will work with your quality function. This is also a place where document management earns its keep, since planners often touch routings, BOMs, and quality records that need to stay organized and current. Match the requirement to your actual environment rather than copying a generic list.
The Role Maps to a Federal Occupation
Production planners fall under the federal occupation production, planning, and expediting clerks (SOC 43-5061), with sample titles including production planner, production scheduler, and material requirements planner. The FLSA administrative-exemption salary threshold is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), and classification turns on the duties test, not the title. This is general information, not legal advice.
Production planners need organization, systems fluency, and the judgment to balance competing priorities. Scale the requirements to the level rather than copying a generic list.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
High school diploma or equivalent; associate or bachelor's a plus
Experience
Planning, scheduling, or manufacturing operations, scaled to the level
Systems
Hands-on ERP or MRP experience; name your specific system
Certification
APICS/ASCM CPIM or CSCP, usually preferred not required
Skills
Organization, capacity planning, math, and cross-functional communication
Classification
Set exempt or non-exempt by duties and pay, not title
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Production Planner Pay
Production planner pay varies by experience, industry, and seniority. Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for your local market and the depth of ERP and planning experience you need.
Median in the High $50,000s (BLS)
The federal occupation production, planning, and expediting clerks reported a median annual wage in the high $50,000s as of the May 2024 data, within the broader material recording clerks group (group median near $46,120), and employment is projected to decline slightly from 2024 to 2034 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Aggregators that capture senior planner and scheduler titles report average total pay in the low-to-mid $80,000s.
The federal clerk-basis figure understates pay for senior planning roles, which is why aggregators that include scheduler-II and master-scheduler titles report higher numbers. A realistic range for a working production planner at a small manufacturer is roughly the high $50,000s to mid $80,000s depending on experience and ERP depth, with master schedulers and planning managers paid more. Anchor your range on the level.
Hiring for a Small Manufacturer
A large manufacturer hires planners through a dedicated planning department with HR support. A small job shop, contract manufacturer, or family-owned plant does not. The owner, plant manager, or operations lead writes the posting, screens applicants, and onboards the new planner, often between running the business. Here is how to write the posting for that reality.
Big manufacturers have planning departments; you have an owner and a plant manager
Most published production planner templates are written for large manufacturers with full planning and HR departments. A small job shop, contract manufacturer, or family-owned plant hiring its first or second planner has none of that. The owner, plant manager, or operations lead writes the posting, screens applicants, and handles onboarding between running the business. The templates above are written for that reality: pick the version that matches your shop, fill in the brackets including your ERP system, and post, without translating an enterprise planning-department job description down to your size.
The first planner hire is where scheduling stops living in one person's head
At a small manufacturer, scheduling often lives in the owner's head or a spreadsheet until the first dedicated planner is hired. That hire is a turning point: it is when the schedule, material planning, and capacity decisions become a documented, repeatable process instead of tribal knowledge. Getting the job description right matters because it defines whether you are hiring a senior planner who owns the system or a coordinator who supports it, and the FLSA classification and pay follow from that. Be honest about the level you actually need.
Onboarding a planner is mostly about systems, certs, and documentation
Whichever planner template you use, the work after hiring is people operations made specific by manufacturing: a signed offer letter, the new hire paperwork, ERP/MRP system training and access, any lean or ISO orientation, and a place to track APICS or other certifications. FirstHR fits this people side for a small manufacturer: e-signature for the offer letter and any NDA, onboarding workflows for ERP/MRP and quality-system ramp-up, training modules to assign and track system and lean training, document management for ISO and certification records, and an employee database to track skills and certifications. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an ERP, MRP, or scheduling system, and it does not run payroll, so pair it with those. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a systems-focused onboarding. Because a planner lives inside your ERP and touches quality and certification records, getting access, training, and documentation right from day one matters.
Send and sign the offer
Confirm the salary, FLSA classification, and start date in writing, with an offer letter and any NDA the new planner can e-sign.
Set up ERP/MRP access and training
Provision system access and assign ERP or MRP training before the first scheduling run, since the system is where the role lives.
Orient on lean, ISO, and quality
Walk through your quality system, routings, and any lean process, and assign the training that applies to your shop.
Track skills and certifications
Record APICS or other certifications and store ISO and training records, so skills and compliance documentation stay current.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new planner a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature, onboarding workflow, training assignments, and document management for ISO and certification records in one place, so a small manufacturer can run the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an ERP, MRP, or scheduling tool, and it does not run payroll, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A production planner schedules manufacturing and plans materials so a shop meets due dates without excess inventory; it maps to federal occupation 43-5061.
Use the template that matches the level: planner, scheduler, material/MRP planner, master scheduler, coordinator, or manufacturing planner.
Name your ERP or MRP system in the posting; system fit is one of the strongest predictors of a fast ramp.
Decide whether APICS/ASCM CPIM is required or preferred; for a small shop it is usually preferred.
Classify by duties and pay, not title: a discretionary planner is usually exempt ($684/week threshold); a routine coordinator may be non-exempt.
The median sits in the high $50,000s on the federal clerk basis, with senior planner and scheduler roles paid more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a production planner do?
A production planner schedules and coordinates manufacturing so a company meets customer due dates without overbuilding inventory. Day to day, that means creating and maintaining the production schedule, planning material requirements, releasing work orders, balancing capacity against labor and machine availability, tracking inventory and triggering purchasing, and keeping the floor, purchasing, sales, and shipping aligned. Planners work primarily in an ERP or MRP system and report on schedule attainment, lead times, and bottlenecks. The federal occupation that covers this role, production, planning, and expediting clerks, describes the core work as reviewing and distributing production and shipment schedules, conferring with supervisors on progress, and compiling reports on work, inventory, and costs. At a small manufacturer the planner often owns the whole schedule end to end. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a production planner and a production scheduler?
They are largely the same role, and many employers use the titles interchangeably, with roughly 95 percent overlap in skills. The practical distinction is emphasis. A production planner takes a wider view: planning material requirements, balancing capacity, and aligning production with demand over a longer horizon. A production scheduler focuses more sharply on the near-term sequence, turning orders and forecasts into a workable daily and weekly schedule and reacting to changes on the floor. At a small manufacturer, one person usually does both jobs under either title. At a larger plant, planning and scheduling may be split across separate roles. Choose the title that matches how your shop talks about the work, and scope the responsibilities to the horizon you need covered. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a production planner exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
It depends on the duties and pay, not the title. A production planner who exercises genuine planning discretion, deciding schedules, balancing capacity, and making judgment calls on matters of significance, typically qualifies for the FLSA administrative exemption and is paid a salary. A more routine expediter or coordinator role that mostly carries out instructions may be non-exempt and entitled to overtime. The federal salary threshold for the administrative exemption is $684 per week, which is $35,568 per year, and the role must also meet the duties test. Because production planning sits on the line between discretionary planning work and routine coordination, classify against what the person actually does, and remember that some states set higher salary thresholds. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a production planner make?
Pay varies by experience, industry, and how senior the role is. The closest federal occupation, production, planning, and expediting clerks, had a median annual wage in the high $50,000s as of the May 2024 federal data, and the broader material recording clerks group reported a median near $46,120. Salary aggregators that capture more senior planning and scheduler titles report higher figures, with average total pay around the low-to-mid $80,000s and senior or scheduler-II roles reaching six figures. For a small manufacturer, a realistic range for a working production planner is roughly the high $50,000s to mid $80,000s depending on experience, ERP depth, and certification, with master schedulers and planning managers paid more. Anchor your range on the level and your local market. This is general information, not compensation advice.
What ERP or MRP systems should a production planner know?
It depends entirely on what your shop runs, which is exactly why you should name your system in the job posting. Common ERP and MRP platforms in manufacturing include SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Epicor, NetSuite, and Fishbowl, among many others. Experience in your specific system is one of the strongest predictors of how quickly a planner ramps, so list it explicitly rather than asking generically for ERP experience. If you would train the right candidate on your system, say so, since that widens your pool. The role lives inside this software day to day, planning materials, releasing work orders, and maintaining data, so system fit matters as much as planning skill. The templates on this page include a fill-in block for your specific system. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do I need an APICS or CPIM certification for a production planner?
Usually it is preferred rather than required, especially at a small manufacturer. APICS, now part of ASCM, offers the CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) and CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) credentials that are well recognized in production planning and supply chain. For a first or second planner hire, hands-on experience and familiarity with your ERP system generally matter more than a certification, so most small employers treat APICS as a plus that signals formal planning knowledge. For a senior master scheduler role, certification carries more weight. Decide whether you require, prefer, or do not need it, and state that clearly in the posting, since treating it as preferred keeps your candidate pool wider. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do small manufacturers hire production planners directly?
Yes. Production planners are hired across the full size spectrum, including small and mid-size manufacturers such as job shops, contract manufacturers, metal fabrication, plastics and injection molding, food and beverage, electronics and PCB assembly, furniture and wood products, small medical device, and apparel. These are direct W-2 hires, not staffing-agency-only roles. At a company in the 5 to 50 employee range, there is usually no dedicated HR department, so the owner, plant manager, or operations lead writes the posting and handles hiring and onboarding. The first dedicated planner hire is often a turning point, moving scheduling out of the owner's head and into a documented, repeatable process. This makes a clear job description and a clean onboarding process especially valuable. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a production planner job description include?
Start with the right title and level: production planner, scheduler, material or MRP planner, master scheduler, coordinator, or an industry-specific manufacturing planner. Include a short company summary that names your industry and production environment, a job summary, and responsibilities grouped into scheduling and work orders, materials and inventory, capacity and coordination, and systems and reporting. The details that generic templates skip are the ones that filter candidates best: name your ERP or MRP system, decide whether APICS certification is required or preferred, specify lean or ISO experience if it applies, and set the FLSA classification by the duties. Add a salary range, an equal opportunity statement, and clear apply instructions, then bridge into a systems-focused onboarding once a candidate accepts. This is general information, not legal advice.
