Office/Administration - Planning and Production Coordinator

The Paper Procurement & Planning Manager is responsible for ensuring a consistent and cost-effective supply of paper to support sheet feeder operations at the plant level. This role serves as the primary point of contact between the plant, paper suppliers, and logistics providers, managing day-to-day ordering, inventory levels, and supply coordination.
This individual will proactively manage demand, monitor supplier performance, and resolve supply challenges to ensure uninterrupted production. The role requires strong attention to detail, operational awareness, and the ability to communicate effectively with plant leadership, scheduling, suppliers, and logistics partners.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS FOR THIS POSITION:

• Determine order quantities and select suppliers based on the plant paper plan, demand requirements, inventory levels, and contractual commitments.
• Place paper orders with suppliers and manage exceptions, including due date changes, allocation constraints, order changes, and supplier delays.
• Proactively identify potential paper shortages and secure alternatives to support production needs and minimize disruption.
• Evaluate alternate grades, sizes, and widths that may be used when standard paper supply is constrained.
• Coordinate with suppliers to confirm production run dates, available inventory, warehoused rolls, and shipment timing.
• Monitor paper agreements and advise plant leadership when the plant is tracking under or over committed volumes, including sheets-for-liner arrangements.
• Lead regular communication with plant leadership and designated plant contacts to review paper orders, demand changes, seasonal business, and supply risks.
• Review paper plan tons, supplier allocations, weekly truck and railcar needs, and target inventory minimums and maximums with the plant team.
• Monitor railcar ETAs and coordinate with plant personnel on railcar utilization, release, and scheduling tools such as QTS.
• Communicate mill run changes, supplier updates, and logistics issues that may affect supply or production schedules.
• Manage purchase order activity, including closing completed POs, updating due dates, and adjusting order quantities to reflect rolls in transit or received.
• Maintain RMS or similar planning systems, including consumption levels, grades, widths, obsolete items, new paper requirements, and plant holidays.
• Ensure purchasing, inventory, supplier, and planning data remains accurate and timely to support effective production planning and execution.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT JOB FUNCTIONS INCLUDE:

• Maintain pricing tables and ensure pricing aligns with supplier agreements and current purchase activity.
• Assist scheduling and production teams with paper-related needs for new business, specialty orders, coatings, print requirements, or similar items.
• Help coordinate inbound logistics, including tracking trucks and assisting with carrier or delivery issues.
• Support planning for specialty or complex products, including produce items, triple wall items, or other unique paper requirements.
• Coordinate release and call-in of railcars as needed to support plant operations.
• Participate in plant meetings and production reviews as the paper supply and procurement resource.
• Provide ad hoc reporting and analysis related to paper usage, inventory, supply, and cost.
• Support process refinement and improvement opportunities related to paper procurement, inventory management, and supplier coordination.
• Perform other duties as reasonably assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Procurement, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 3+ years of experience in purchasing, supply planning, inventory management, logistics, manufacturing operations, or a related role.
• Experience working in a manufacturing, converting, packaging, paper, or industrial environment.
• Experience placing purchase orders, coordinating supplier activity, and resolving order exceptions.
• Experience working with production schedules, inventory levels, and material requirements in a time-sensitive operating environment.
• Experience using, purchasing and planning systems; RMS experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with roll stock procurement, paper grades, paper widths, mill operations, and supplier run schedules.
• Experience coordinating inbound transportation, including trucks and railcars.

REQUIRED SKILLS (TECHNICAL, CLERICAL, LANGUAGE, ETC.)

• Strong planning, purchasing, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple orders, suppliers, and priorities at the same time.
• Ability to balance cost, availability, supplier constraints, and production needs in a fast-paced plant environment.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in purchase orders, pricing, inventory, and system updates.
• Ability to identify supply risks early and take practical and proactive actions to prevent production interruptions.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with plant leadership, accounting, suppliers, and logistics providers.
• Working knowledge of inventory management, material flow, supplier coordination, and production-driven planning.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and comfort working with data, reports, purchase orders, and planning systems.
• Ability to follow up consistently, manage exceptions, and drive issues to resolution.

PREFERRED SKILLS (TECHNICAL, CLERICAL, LANGUAGE, ETC.)

• Knowledge of paper sourcing, roll stock planning, paper substitutions, and mill coordination.
• Familiarity with rail scheduling tools and systems such as QTS.
• Experience supporting high-volume, production-driven operations.
• Exposure to continuous improvement, process refinement, or inventory optimization initiatives.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Primarily an office-based role requiring extended periods of sitting, computer use, phone calls, and data entry or analysis.
• Ability to navigate the plant environment, including walking, standing, and climbing stairs for short periods while following all safety requirements.
• Ability to lift or carry light materials up to approximately 10-15 pounds, such as a laptop, briefcase, or documents.
• Must be able to communicate effectively in both office and industrial settings - verbally, visually, and in writing.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This role operates in a combination of office and manufacturing plant environments.
• Primary work location is the Oak Creek, WI plant, with frequent interaction with plant leadership, scheduling, accounting, suppliers, mills, and logistics providers.
• Plant activity may involve exposure to typical manufacturing conditions, including noise, moving equipment, varying temperatures, and industrial materials; appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required.
• Occasional travel may be required for supplier meetings, training, or business needs.
• The role requires flexibility to respond to changing production schedules, supplier updates, and time-sensitive supply issues.

OTHER INFORMATION
The essential job functions and major job functions are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the job functions that an individual will be required or expected to perform.
Position Descriptions may be changed or revised by the Company from time to time at its sole discretion.
This Position Description is not intended to guarantee, and does not guarantee, ongoing employment or employment for a definite term, either in this position or with the Company. Absent an enforceable written contract to the contrary, and to the fullest extent allowed by federal, state and local law, an employee's employment relationship with the Company is at-will.

Our organization is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.