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Maintenance Planner Scheduler (Wausau, WI)

3M · Wausau, WI · $95,591–$116,834 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 23, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a planned shutdown or outage you scheduled. What went wrong and how did you adjust?

What they are checking: Whether they can coordinate many jobs and recover when the plan meets reality.

Tell me about a time you had to negotiate a maintenance window with a production manager who didn't want to give up time.

What they are checking: Whether they can make the case for maintenance time using risk and cost.

What would you do

How do you set work priority when every requester says their job is urgent?

What they are checking: Whether they use a clear priority system tied to safety and production impact rather than who complains.

A breakdown blows up your weekly schedule on Tuesday. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they protect what they can, reschedule clearly and communicate with operations.

Technicians say your job plans don't match what they find in the field. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Whether they use feedback to improve plans rather than defending them.

About the work

Walk me through how you build a job plan from a work request, from scope to parts to crafts.

What they are checking: Whether they know how a good job plan saves technician time and prevents return trips.

What's the difference between planning and scheduling, and why does it matter?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that planning defines the job and scheduling commits the resources and window.

How do you measure whether your maintenance schedule is working?

What they are checking: Whether they track schedule compliance, backlog and planned versus reactive work.

How do you make sure parts and materials are on hand before a job is scheduled?

What they are checking: Whether they kit and stage parts so technicians are not waiting on stores.

Which CMMS have you used, and how did you keep the data in it accurate?

What they are checking: Whether they know that bad work order history leads to bad planning decisions.

How do you keep the backlog from growing out of control?

What they are checking: Whether they manage backlog size, age and priority with discipline.

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The full job description

As published by 3M.

Job Description: Job Title Maintenance Planner Scheduler Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers. This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career. The Impact You’ll Make in this Role As a Maintenance Planner Schedular, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world. The Garage Planner Scheduler is responsible for the effective execution of all maintenance work control processes. He / she is responsible to the Maintenance Manager for the efficient and effective use of planning and scheduling all resources to conduct maintenance activities which result in minimum downtime and maximum productivity. To fulfill these responsibilities in the most effective manner, the Planner/Schedule is empowered to manage work priority, develop job plans, define parts and material, define crafts and skills and engage the proper resources to develop a safe, effective and efficient work control plan. In addition, the Planner/Scheduler provides the equipment-related expertise and technical guidance on improving Preventive Maintenance activities. Here, you will make an impact by: Planner/Scheduler once a valid work request is submitted will prioritize, plan, schedule and follow –up on accuracy of the job plan for all planned (PM, Pdm and corrective) work. There focus is not day to day but is to be proactive and optimize workforce productivity and minimize plant downtime by managing work 2 weeks to 1 month in advance. In performance of these duties the planner/scheduler has the following responsibilities: • Principle contact and liaison between the garage and operation planning. They rollingstock and associated equipment in the Plant receive professional maintenance service in a timely manner to ensure high equipment availability and performance • Support a crew of Garage maintenance personnel by reviewing and analyzing incoming shop work orders to identify materials, craftsperson time, priorities and other requirements for scheduling and completing work. • Support Quarry operations by reviewing work order requirements and equipment needs to determine appropriate timing to complete the needed work, assure availability of people and equipment, schedule accordingly, and track work for timely and efficient completion. • Determine work scope by inspecting the equipment to identify problems, safety issues, tools and material needs, permitting requirements, or need for special instructions to provide effectiveness of assigned craft. Continually update BOM's and stockroom spares as it relates to rollingstock. • Lead the work order generation role by obtaining and evaluating prints and other documentation relating to shop work orders, and PM's and provide complete, understandable , accurate scope for maintenance work of all rollingstock in the Plant. • Follow up and communicates schedule to all resources: maintenance, production, outside services, stores and engineering. • Continuously improves the job estimate, planning and scheduling by receiving feedback from maintenance supervisors, maintenance leads, production supervisors, engineers and production planners. • Keep accurate metrics on the performance of planning and scheduling functions and provide timely reports to the Plant Engineering manager. • Determine and identify any vendor delivered service for the work order. (i.e., contract vibration service or alignment service • Identifies work requiring engineering design and reviews them with engineering. • Provide a total cost estimate for the work to be performed: labor, material, and outside services. • Manage the status of work control and backlog for work order submission to work order completion. Status may include: waiting for planning, waiting parts, ready to schedule, scheduled, etc. • Manage a backlog of work orders which require major or significant portion of the equipment being down. • Willingness to be on-call; Your Skills and Expertise To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications: • High School Diploma or higher (completed and verified prior to start) • Six (6) years of maintenance and/or manufacturing experience in a private, public, government or military environment Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include: • Four (4) years of experience as a maintenance planner scheduler. • Have adequate craft knowledge and skill to accurately estimate labor hours, material requirement and skills needed to complete a job. Must have a demonstrated ability to visualize and communicate the execution of work. • Should have good written and verbal communications skills and have demonstrated the ability to be approachable and tactful. • Good math skills and computer skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) and SAP Software. • Good organizational skills. Demonstrated organizational and planning skills. • Demonstrated ability to write and provide simple and accurate instructions. • Demonstrated ability to read standard blueprints, machine and process drawings. Have the ability to sketch or redline existing drawings. • Experience working as a skilled trade in rock crushing process. • Knowledge and understands the maintenance processes and proper use of the work order system, planning and scheduling and storeroom processes. • Can manage multiple priorities or projects simultaneously and keep them progressing to completion. Work location: • Work location: Wausau, WI Travel: May include up to 5% domestic Relocation: May be authorized Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status). Supporting Your Well-being 3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope. Chat with Max For assistance with searching through our current job openings or for more information about all things 3M, visit Max, our virtual recruiting assistant on 3M.com/careers. Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $95,591 - $116,834, which includes base pay plus variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/. Good Faith Posting Date Range 09/23/2026 To 10/23/2026 Or until filled All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M. Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M. Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties. Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement. Pay & Benefits Overview: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/ 3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Please note: your application may not be considered if you do not provide your education and work history, either by: 1) uploading a resume, or 2) entering the information into the application fields directly. 3M Global Terms of Use and Privacy Statement Carefully read these Terms of Use before using this website. Your access to and use of this website and application for a job at 3M are conditioned on your acceptance and compliance with these terms. Please click on the following links and select the country where you are applying for employment to review the applicable Terms of Use (link here) and Privacy Policy (link here) . Before submitting your application, you will be asked to confirm your agreement with the terms.

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