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Production Planner

Plexus · Buffalo Grove, IL · $70,600–$105,800 a year · Full time

Posted Aug 27, 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 your experience building production schedules. What tools and systems did you use?

What they are checking: Whether they have scheduled real manufacturing work in an ERP-driven environment.

How do you communicate schedule changes to the floor so people are not confused?

What they are checking: Whether they keep production leads informed and keep the schedule stable where possible.

Tell me about a time you improved a planning process or tool.

What they are checking: Whether they look for better ways to plan instead of only reacting each day.

How do you work with buyers, program managers and production leads?

What they are checking: Whether they can coordinate across functions that all depend on the plan.

What would you do

A material shortage hits on Tuesday and threatens Friday's shipments. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they react with options, communicate quickly and work with buyers to recover.

A customer wants an order expedited, but it will push out another customer's order. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they escalate tradeoffs openly rather than quietly making a call that hurts another customer.

About the work

Walk me through how you build a weekly schedule for a line that runs several customers' products.

What they are checking: Whether they can balance capacity, materials, changeovers and customer priorities.

How do you use MRP output, and when do you not trust it?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that bad master data can drive bad signals and know how to check them.

What metrics do you track to know the schedule is working?

What they are checking: Whether they measure schedule attainment and on-time delivery and act on misses.

How do you balance keeping inventory low with making sure the line never runs out?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the cost of both too much and too little material.

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The full job description

As published by Plexus.

About us: At Plexus, our vision is to help create the products that build a better world. Driven by a passion for excellence, we partner with leading Aerospace/Defense, Healthcare/Life Sciences and Industrial companies to design, manufacture and service some of the world’s most transformative products, including advanced surgical systems, diagnostic instruments, healthcare imaging equipment, mission critical aerospace systems, and electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. Visit Plexus.com to learn more about our unwavering commitment to our vision. When we invest in our people, we invest in building a better world. With a vision rooted in the wellbeing and inclusive engagement of our team members, our customers, their end users and our communities, people are the heart of what we do and who we are. It is our values that unite us and guide us in everything that we do, including how we operate, behave and interact to foster a workplace where every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute their best. Our values include: Growing our People, Building Belonging, Innovating Responsibly, Delivering Excellence and Creating Customer Success. As a team member, you will engage in impactful work through global collaboration and the use of emerging technologies, join an inclusive culture where every team member is valued and working toward a greater purpose, and be empowered to reach your full potential through various development programs designed to accelerate your growth. Plexus offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support team members' wellbeing, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, retirement savings, and opportunities for professional development. We also prioritize work-life balance and offer a variety of perks to enhance the team member experience. For more information, visit our US benefits website at usbenefits.plexus.com . Our commitment to pay range transparency fosters an equitable workplace, where everyone can feel valued. The annual compensation range for this position is stated below. The salary offered within this range will be based upon the geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level. Salary Range: $70,600.00 - $105,800.00 Purpose Statement: The objective in this role is to ensure the efficient and effective utilization of resources, materials, and labor in the production process to execute the master production schedule. Their main goal is to optimize production operations, minimize costs, maximize productivity and customer satisfaction. Key Job Accountabilities: • Understand overall capacity loading requirements and needs of the factory. • Establish and review the production schedule to ensure customer commitments and the needs of Plexus are met. • Monitor production schedule performance and inventory levels of raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods to ensure optimal stock levels to maintain the production schedule. • Able to resolve challenges through standard policies and procedures with general guidance. Education/Experience Qualifications: • Bachelor’s Degree with 2 or more years of related experience is preferred. An equivalent combination of education and/or experience will be considered. Other Qualifications: • Employee must be self-motivated with the ability to work independently and in a team environment. • Employee must possess good written and oral communication, organizational and troubleshooting skills. • The ability to take a proactive approach, and take ownership for all activities related to the success of the Focus Factory in order to ensure successful operations. • Employee must work safely at all times and maintain confidentiality of all company and customer information. • Must have computer experience with Google Workspace or Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and the ability to learn Plexus Data Collection and MRP/ERP systems. • General office equipment and materials. Travel Requirements: • Less than 40% This document does not represent a contract of employment and is not intended to capture every possible assignment the incumbent could be asked to perform. We are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities or special requirements. If you need an application accommodation, please contact us by email at GHQ.TA@plexus.com . Please include your contact information and clearly describe how we can help you. This email is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Some offers of employment are contingent upon successfully passing a drug screen and/or background check.

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