OVERVIEW:

The Production / Wave Planning Manager is responsible for translating daily and weekly demand into an executable production plan for the distribution center. This role serves as the central point of coordination between Production Control and Operations, ensuring orders are prioritized, work is released appropriately, capacity is balanced across functions, and the facility remains positioned to achieve service, throughput, and productivity targets.

The Production / Wave Planning Manager leads the site Wave Planning team and maintains end-to-end visibility of work throughout the facility. The role proactively identifies constraints, adjusts release strategies, and coordinates with Operations, Labor Planning, WMS, Capacity Planning, and other partners to keep product flowing through the building.

This is a highly analytical and operational role requiring strong knowledge of distribution operations, WMS functionality, order fulfillment processes, capacity constraints, and production planning.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Production Planning & Flow Control

• Develop and maintain the site’s daily production plan based on order demand, customer priorities, available capacity, labor availability, inventory readiness, and service commitments.

• Translate network priorities and volume forecasts into executable site-level plans.

• Maintain end-to-end visibility of workload across receiving, replenishment, picking, packing, sortation, shipping, and other applicable processes.

• Identify potential bottlenecks before they impact service or throughput.

• Adjust production priorities throughout the day based on actual performance, changing demand, system constraints, and operational conditions.

• Coordinate recovery plans when the facility falls behind production or service expectations.

Wave Planning & Order Release

• Own the site’s wave planning and work-release strategy.

• Determine the appropriate timing, size, sequencing, and prioritization of waves or other work releases.

• Ensure sufficient work is available to Operations without creating excessive WIP, congestion, downstream constraints, or inefficient labor utilization.

• Monitor wave progression and order aging throughout the day.

• Adjust wave and release strategies based on actual throughput, backlog, carrier cutoffs, inventory availability, and downstream capacity.

• Establish standard wave-planning processes and decision rules for the site.

Daily Execution Management

• Serve as the Production Control point person for daily DC execution.

• Lead or participate in daily production-control meetings and operating reviews.

• Compare actual performance against the production plan throughout the day.

• Escalate emerging service, capacity, labor, inventory, or system risks.

• Coordinate with Operations leadership on corrective actions and changes to the execution plan.

• Maintain clear communication regarding priorities, constraints, risks, and recovery actions.

Capacity & Constraint Management

• Monitor capacity across major processing areas and identify emerging constraints.

• Understand dependencies between upstream and downstream processes and adjust work releases accordingly.

• Partner with Capacity Planning to provide actual site performance, constraint information, and capacity assumptions.

• Support peak, promotional, launch, and other high-volume readiness planning.

• Develop contingency plans for capacity or system disruptions.

Labor Alignment

• Partner closely with Labor Planning & Productivity to align available labor with expected workload.

• Identify potential labor imbalances by function before they negatively impact flow.

• Recommend labor movement or production-plan changes based on actual demand and throughput.

• Provide feedback on planned versus actual labor requirements and productivity assumptions.

• Ensure production plans reflect realistic labor and capacity constraints.

WMS & Systems

• Develop strong expertise in WMS functionality related to wave planning, allocation, order prioritization, work release, and production flow.

• Partner with the WMS & Operational Systems team to identify system issues or opportunities affecting execution.

• Validate that system rules and configurations support the intended operational strategy.

• Participate in testing and implementation of WMS enhancements affecting production planning and execution.

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and coach the site’s Wave Planners.

• Establish clear roles, standard work, escalation protocols, and decision rights for the Wave Planning team.

• Ensure adequate planning coverage across operating shifts.

• Build planner capability in WMS functionality, operational flow, data analysis, and decision-making.

• Create a culture in which planners proactively manage the building rather than simply release work.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Business, Analytics, or related field preferred.

• 5+ years of experience in distribution, fulfillment, production planning, wave planning, operations, or a related function.

• Previous leadership experience preferred.

• Strong understanding of distribution center operations and end-to-end order flow.

• Experience working with warehouse management systems and wave/order release functionality.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

• Ability to make decisions quickly in a high-volume, rapidly changing operating environment.

• Strong communication skills and ability to influence Operations and cross-functional partners.

• Experience with Excel, BI/reporting tools, WMS reporting, and operational data analysis