Senior Production Planner in Fremont, California at Gooch & Housego Pal Alto

About Us
G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications.

Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with primary operations in the USA and Europe, G&H is recognized for the breadth of their acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fiber optic, and precision optic products. G&H is recognized as the preferred source for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defense industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy-five years.

G&H offers exciting and rewarding opportunities for motivated and talented people to join a team of like-minded, highly skilled colleagues who want to grow and succeed with our company.

Hiring talent to complement and grow our current teams’ skills and capabilities is a strategic priority to enable our plans for growth.

Our seven business locations in the United States and four UK-based businesses employ across a broad range of functions including engineering and process, manufacturing, product management, supply chain and customer services, quality assurance, continuous improvement, compliance and finance.

The Role

We are seeking a Sr. Production Planner to partner closely with Operations to build and maintain a realistic, executable production plan that supports customer delivery, improves throughput, and stabilizes day-to-day operations for a high mix/ low volume product environment with MOQ assessments and policy setting.

This role is responsible for translating demand into actionable production schedules, aligning with manufacturing capacity and material availability, and ensuring clear visibility to priorities across the shop floor.

The ideal candidate is hands-on, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced manufacturing environment where planning discipline is being strengthened and built.

Key Responsibilities

• Production Planning & Scheduling: Develop, implement, and maintain detailed production schedules using ERP systems (e.g., SAP PP/MM) to optimize resource utilization and meet customer delivery requirements
• Capacity & Material Planning: Perform rough cut capacity planning, master production scheduling, and material requirements planning; ensure alignment between demand and supply
• Inventory & WIP Management: Monitor work-in-progress, backlogs, and master data accuracy; adjust plans for demand changes or supply disruptions
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with procurement, engineering, quality assurance, logistics, and supply chain teams to resolve bottlenecks and align planning with operational realities
• Performance Monitoring: Track and report on KPIs such as planning adherence, work center utilization, lead times, and schedule attainment
• Process Improvement: Lead initiatives to improve planning efficiency, reduce waste, and implement best practices; mentor junior planners
• Issue Resolution: Address production issues, backorder challenges, and unplanned events; coordinate with senior management for escalated matters

Performance Measures

• Schedule Adherence / Plan Attainment
• On-Time Delivery (OTD)
• Work Order Cycle Time / Throughput
• Backlog Management & Prioritization Accuracy
• WIP Levels and Flow Efficiency
• Production Downtime Related to Planning Gaps
• Inventory Turns

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field
• 5-8+ years in production planning, with at least 3 years in a senior or managerial role
• Experience in high-mix, low-to-medium volume manufacturing preferred (optics, aerospace, medical, or similar).
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or similar).
• Strong understanding of production processes, capacity constraints, and material flow.

Skills & Competencies

• Proficiency with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.) and advanced Excel
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for cross-functional leadership
• Knowledge of learn manufacturing, capacity planning, and quality control principles

Personal Attributes

• Hands-on and action-oriented; willing to engage directly with the business.
• Resilient and adaptable in a changing environment.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Collaborative, with the ability to build trust across teams.
• Calm under pressure and able to manage competing priorities.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

Please note that this position will involve having access to items and technical data that may be controlled under U.S. export laws and regulations ("U.S. Export Control Laws"), including but not limited to the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations ("ITAR"). To comply with the U.S. Export Control Laws, G&H must assess whether candidates are "U.S. persons" as defined under the EAR (15 C.F.R. Part 772) and the ITAR (22 C.F.R. § 120.15). Certain questions asked during the application process are intended to assess this and will be used for compliance purposes only.