Role search
Get a Production Planner who can own master production scheduling. Also called production planner
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: A production planner manages the transition from a demand plan to a factory reality. While a demand planner focuses on what customers might buy, the production planner addresses what the facility can actually build given capacity, tooling constraints and component availability.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- Production Planner
- production planner
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
A production planner manages the transition from a demand plan to a factory reality. While a demand planner focuses on what customers might buy, the production planner addresses what the facility can actually build given capacity, tooling constraints and component availability. This person determines which jobs start when, ensuring that the master production schedule aligns with the physical reality of machine hours and labor shifts.
Success here depends on balancing conflicting pressures between high equipment utilization and minimal inventory holding costs. You need this person to act as a buffer between procurement and manufacturing. They identify when raw material shortages will stall a line or when a specific machine setup is creating a bottleneck that ruins the weekly schedule. Their job is to own the daily sequencing that keeps the plant moving without overproducing items that will sit as stagnant stock. They turn a static ERP output into a living plan that responds to real-time machine breakdowns or sudden labor shortages on the floor.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify their experience in managing multi-stage bills of materials. We confirm they understand how sub-assembly lead times impact top-level shipping dates. Candidates must explain how they handle partial completions or scrap events that force an immediate mid-week schedule revision.
- We audit their history with shop floor control systems. We look for proof that they can handle real-time labor reporting rather than relying on stale data. We confirm they know how to identify ghost inventory or system-stuck work orders that prevent accurate capacity planning.
- We assess their methodology for adjusting production sequences based on raw material arrival. We look for candidates who proactively move jobs when a supplier delay occurs. They must demonstrate how they re-allocate labor or machine time to ensure the most critical orders move forward despite missing components.
- We check their ability to translate production capacity metrics into actionable data for operations managers. We confirm they can explain why a specific schedule is unachievable without resorting to generic excuses. They must show how they measure schedule adherence versus planned output to find root causes of missed targets, ensuring that production tracking software actually reflects physical progress.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We recruit from manufacturing environments where the product mix changes weekly. These sites force planners to solve complex scheduling puzzles under intense pressure. We look for individuals who have worked in shops utilizing lean or just-in-time manufacturing, as these environments mandate tight coupling between production schedules and vendor delivery performance.
We also target professionals in high-volume assembly operations. These candidates bring experience with rigid timing and fast-paced output requirements. They often seek contract work when they want to apply their methodology to a new facility or when they prefer a specific focus on operational efficiency rather than the broader administrative responsibilities found in permanent roles. We find these specialists when they complete a project or finish a plant-wide software migration.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Planners often assume the production system data is accurate without verifying physical counts. They schedule work based on inventory levels that exist only on a screen, which causes immediate line stoppages when the materials are not actually available.
- Many candidates focus exclusively on maximizing machine utilization rates. They ignore the impact of high output on storage space and downstream processing. This creates a cluttered shop floor where work-in-progress inventory masks critical bottlenecks and slows the overall throughput.
- Candidates frequently struggle to document their planning logic. They treat manual adjustments to the system as a personal process rather than a reproducible standard. When they are absent or move to a new task, the team loses the ability to interpret the schedule or understand the assumptions behind the production sequence.
The search
How the Production Planner search runs
- We first map your facility layout and existing system constraints. We define the specific production cycles, batch sizes and material flow characteristics that the new hire must manage. This creates a technical filter for the candidate pool that ignores generalist applicants who lack relevant shop floor experience.
- We interview candidates on specific scenarios involving production disruptions. We ask how they prioritize orders when two critical items require the same machine simultaneously. We push them to explain the trade-offs between meeting a single high-priority ship date and maintaining overall factory efficiency across the entire week.
- Finally, we verify their technical proficiency with your ERP or scheduling modules. We evaluate whether they can manipulate parameters like safety lead times or minimum batch quantities to correct identified inefficiencies. We ensure they have the temperament to work closely with supervisors while maintaining the integrity of the production plan and reporting requirements.
Questions
How does a production planner differ from a scheduler?
A production planner is typically responsible for long-term capacity requirements and material procurement synchronization. A scheduler focuses on the immediate, day-to-day sequencing of work orders on specific equipment.
Do I need a candidate with software implementation experience?
If you are fixing a broken planning process, implementation experience helps. It proves they understand system logic beyond daily data entry.
Can this person work remotely?
Effective production planning requires presence on the shop floor. They must verify physical inventory and observe production bottlenecks firsthand.
What is the fee structure?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
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The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.