Manager, Production Planning bei Learning Resources / Educational Insights / hand2mind

About our family of companies:

We are on a mission to bring learning to life! At our family of companies, Learning Resources®, Educational Insights, and hand2mind, we create a unique range of toys, educational products and supplemental curriculum trusted by teachers and loved by families alike. Voted among the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces for the last four consecutive years, we are a 350-person strong, family-owned organization dedicated to helping kids succeed in school and develop a love of learning. In addition to high-quality, hands-on products like VersaTiles® and Cuisenaire® Rods, we make award-winning toys, including top sellers such as the Pretend & Play® Cash Register, the Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set and Toy of the Year winner Botley® the Coding Robot as well as Educational Insights top sellers Kanoodle®, GeoSafari® Jr. series, and Playfoam™. We pride ourselves on being committed to our employee’s personal and professional development, a thriving culture and a diverse, creative atmosphere. Along with our culture and competitive benefits package, we offer a variety of opportunities for training and development. We are looking for professionals who are truly just kids at heart! We hope you’ll come join our award-winning team today!

Team & Position Description: 

We are seeking a Manager, Production Planning, to lead our production planning team in driving operational excellence, increasing inventory productivity, and enhancing availability for our customers. This leadership role will oversee the execution of production plans aligned with demand forecasts, while fostering cross-functional collaboration across purchasing, sales, and operations. As the leader of the Production Planning team, you’ll manage and develop talent, implement process improvements, and directly influence how we manage our production lifecycle.

Here’s what makes this team awesome:

• A commitment to precision and agility in production operations.
• Opportunities to shape and optimize planning strategies in a dynamic, collaborative setting.
• A passionate, results-driven team eager to make an impact.

What you’ll do day to day:  

• Lead Production Planning team, ensuring alignment with corporate goals & customer demand. 
• Collaborate with Publisher customers through weekly calls to guide forecast commitments and assembly schedules.
• Maintain and refine MRP parameters and item data to ensure accurate planning and execution.
• Conduct short- and long-term capacity planning to support scalable production.
• Conduct short- and long-term capacity planning to support scalable production.
• Support product lifecycle transitions, including new kit creation and end-of-life disposition strategies.

What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives): 

• Component Commitment Analysis: Build a component reallocation report and tool to smooth customer build schedules and reduce risk from out-of-sequence commitments. Collaborate with account owners to implement within 90 days.
• Publisher Sales Consensus: Develop dynamic revenue forecasts through collaborative customer calls and internal consensus. Track forecast accuracy and improve performance within the first 6 months.
• Component Substitution Optimization: Assess D365’s substitution capabilities or develop a supporting tool to reduce overstock inventory by 10% within 9 months.
• Enhance Lifecycle Management: Lead initiatives to streamline product transitions and reduce excess inventory by 10% year-over-year through a collaborative disposition flow.

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Management, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in Production Planning, Supply Chain, Operations, or Inventory Management.
• Intermediate-Advanced proficiency in Power BI and Excel, with strong data interpretation skills.
• Proficiency in MRP and ERP systems, with at least 5 years of practical application.
• Demonstrated expertise in production scheduling and capacity planning.
• Exceptional leadership, collaboration, and communication skills.
• APICS CPIM Certification is preferred.
• A collaborative, critical thinker who thrives in fast-paced environments and brings a strong ability to balance intuition with data-driven decision-making.

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Compensation Range: $115,000 - $125,000 annual salary - Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set, or location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here).

#LI-hybrid