DescriptionBrad Foote Gear Works is hiring a Master Scheduler to join our team in Cicero, IL. The Master Scheduler role is a decision-making role, not clerical; it will require deep manufacturing understanding and includes Executive visibility and ownership of plant-wide scheduling performance. Given the level of this role, the selected individual will have the ability to influence capacity and capital planning decisions and have a direct impact on customer delivery performance.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS- Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) across all product lines and work centers
- Balance demand, capacity, and material availability to create executable schedules
- Establish schedule policies including time fences, frozen zones, and planning horizons
- Lead the monthlySales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) process
- Facilitate cross-functional consensus on demand, supply, and capacity plans
- Provide executive-level reporting on: demand vs. capacity gaps; backlog health; revenue forecast alignment
- Drive decisions on outsourcing, overtime, and capital investment needs
- Conduct detailed capacity analysis by work center, machine, and labor skill set
- Identify and manage constraints (machining centers, heat treat, inspection, etc.)
- Develop mitigation strategies: load leveling, alternate routings, subcontracting
- Partner with Operations on bottleneck elimination
- Drive system discipline and data accuracy (BOMs, routings, calendars)
- Lead continuous improvement of scheduling tools (finite scheduling systems, Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS))
- Partner with Sales on realistic promised dates and backlog prioritization
- Work closely with Supply Chain to ensure material availability
- Coordinate withProduction / Operations for schedule execution and issue resolution
- Collaborate with Finance on inventory targets and working capital
- Track and improve key KPIs: On-time delivery), schedule adherence, lead time reduction
- Lead root cause analysis on schedule misses and systemic issues
- Drive Lean / CI initiatives related to flow, batching, and planning efficiency
- All other duties as assigned
Requirements- 7+ years of production scheduling experience in a complex machining or discrete manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated expertise in finite capacity scheduling across constrained resources (machines, labor, outside processing)
- Deep understanding of multi-level BOMs, routings, and shop floor execution
- Strong ERP/APS capability (TCM, SAP, Oracle, or equivalent), with the ability to audit and improve system scheduling logic
- Proven ability to balance demand vs. capacity and drive executable schedules in a high-mix, low-volume environment
- Hands-on knowledge of machining operations (CNC, grinding, gear cutting, or similar)
- Experience coordinating with unionized production teams and frontline supervisors
- Advanced analytical skills (Excel, Power BI, or equivalent) with ownership of KPIs such as OTD, schedule adherence, and WIP
- Ability to perform rapid scenario planning and schedule recovery in response to disruptions
- Strong cross-functional leadership skills-able to align production, engineering, supply chain, and sales
