Production and Inventory Planner at Red River Commodities

Red River Commodities is a leading processor of sunflower seeds and specialty grains, specializing in high-quality, nutritious food products. We pride ourselves on our sustainable practices, innovation, and commitment to delivering superior products to our customers. Our team shares core values focused on quality, innovation, responsibility, and community. We work hard, play harder, embrace authenticity, and always support one another to achieve our goals.

Location: nd St N, Fargo, ND 58102

Position Summary

The Production and Inventory Planner is a dual focus position responsible for production planning execution and enterprise wide inventory strategy. The position balances short term production scheduling and material readiness with long term inventory health, policy, and governance across the organization.

The role partners closely with operations, procurement, demand planning, logistics, finance, and plant leadership to ensure production plans are executable, inventory is accurate and optimized, and working capital is managed responsibly while supporting service level and growth objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning

• Develop and maintain weekly and short term production schedules aligned with demand forecasts, inventory positions, and plant capacity constraints
• Translate demand plans into executable production plans across one or more manufacturing facilities
• Monitor schedule adherence, identify risks to execution, and proactively adjust plans to mitigate service disruptions
• Coordinate closely with plant leadership on:
  • Line capacity and sequencing
  • Changeovers and run efficiencies
  • Material availability and constraints
• Partner with procurement and logistics to ensure raw materials, packaging, and WIP are positioned to support planned production
• Analyze planned vs. actual production performance and recommend continuous improvement opportunities
• Support new product launches, promotions, and volume shifts with proactive production planning
• Maintain planning accuracy within ERP/MRP systems and ensure data integrity supporting production execution

Corporate Inventory Management

• Own and govern inventory strategy across raw materials, packaging, WIP, and finished goods
• Establish and maintain safety stock policies, reorder parameters, and planning rules by item and location
• Monitor inventory health metrics including:
  • Inventory turns
  • Excess and obsolete exposure
  • Expiry and shelf life risk
  • Service level performance
• Lead enterprise wide inventory optimization initiatives to balance service, cost, and working capital
• Ensure inventory accuracy and discipline, partnering with operations and finance on cycle counts, physical inventories, and root cause analysis
• Collaborate with operations to develop standardized inventory processes and expectations across facilities
• Provide regular reporting and insights to leadership on inventory performance, risks, and opportunities
• Support budgeting and forecasting by translating inventory strategy into financial impacts

Cross Functional Leadership & Governance

• Serve as a key liaison between operations, procurement, demand planning, finance, and logistics
• Drive alignment between what is sold, what is planned, what is produced, and what is stocked
• Champion data accuracy, process discipline, and continuous improvement across planning and inventory workflows
• Support system enhancements, process documentation, and planning governance standards

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 3+ years of experience in production planning, inventory management, or supply chain roles within a manufacturing environment
• Strong working knowledge of MRP/ERP systems and planning logic
• Advanced analytical and problem solving skills
• High proficiency in Excel and comfort working with planning and inventory data
• Ability to manage competing priorities and operate effectively in a fast paced, highly dynamic environment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence cross functional stakeholders

Preferred

• Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities
• Background in food, agriculture, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing
• Experience leading inventory optimization or working capital initiatives

Company Benefits:

At Red River Commodities, we value our employees and are committed to providing a supportive and rewarding work environment. As a member of our team, you will enjoy a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, and opportunities for career growth and development. Below are some additional benefits that we offer.

• On-demand pay available through Tapcheck
• Paid time off
• Paid Holidays
• 401k & company match
• Profit Sharing
• Employee Assistance Program

Red River Commodities and its subsidiaries are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to all employment practices within our organization. Red River Commodities makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

We are committed to maintaining a legal and compliant workplace. As part of our hiring process, Red River Commodities participates in the E-Verify program.

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