Occupation
Production planner
Production planners decide what gets made, on which line, in what order, and with which materials. They balance customer demand against capacity, material availability, and changeover cost, then re-plan whenever a machine goes down or a delivery slips. The work is analytical but highly interruptible, since the plan rarely survives contact with the shop floor unchanged.
Also known as: Production scheduler · Master scheduler · Materials planner · Manufacturing planner · MRP planner
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Occupation content
Part of Manufacturing, production and quality
A visual day in the work
What the work involves
Build and publish the production schedule from demand, stock, and capacity data
Run material requirements planning and raise or expedite purchase and works orders
Re-sequence work when breakdowns, shortages, or urgent customer orders disrupt the plan
Review inventory coverage and flag shortage risks to purchasing and operations
Meet with production, quality, and despatch to confirm commitments and constraints
Maintain planning parameters such as lead times, batch rules, and routings in the system
Entry-route stepper
How people commonly enter
A college diploma or certificate in supply chain, operations, or business administration
Progression from stores, purchasing, customer service, or production administration
A degree in supply chain management, operations, or engineering
Professional planning or inventory management certification taken while working
Typical training: Certificate or college diploma
Licensing: Not typically licensed
Work-context map
Typical work context
- Desk based
- Team based
- Fast paced
- Hybrid office
- Predictable routine
Desk based · Team based · Fast paced · Hybrid office · Predictable routine
Related interests
- Conventional (organizing)
- Investigative (analytical)
- Enterprising (leading)
Conventional (organizing) · Investigative (analytical) · Enterprising (leading)
Related aptitude preparation
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Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Manufacturing, production and quality.
Official sources
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Manufacturing, production and quality in Canada, not a figure for Production planner. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
This is a broad Manufacturing, production and quality family. Explore the official profile for the chosen occupation; entry education and training can differ within the family.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Manufacturing, production and quality: education pathways
Some roles in Manufacturing, production and quality may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Manufacturing, production and quality: licensing
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