Kovatera Inc. is a privately-owned Canadian corporation. We specialize in the engineering, design, manufacture, and sales of fit for purpose, small footprint utility vehicles. Kovatera provides aftermarket product support both directly and through its authorized worldwide dealership network.
We are ISO9001:2008 registered and adhere to a comprehensive health and safety program. Our on-site engineering philosophy is to engineer vehicles that have the lowest Total Cost of Ownership for our customers given the harsh environments our vehicles work in.
Job Description:
The Production, Demand & Inventory Planner is responsible for balancing customer demand, inventory levels, material availability, and production capacity to ensure on-time delivery and efficient operations. This role combines production scheduling, demand forecasting, inventory planning, and supply chain coordination to support both capital equipment manufacturing and aftermarket parts operations.
The position serves as the key link between Sales, Production, Purchasing, Service, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams, ensuring that customer demand is translated into executable production and inventory plans.
Key Responsibilities
Demand Planning (50%)
- Develop and maintain monthly, quarterly, and annual demand forecasts for vehicles, aftermarket parts, and service-related requirements.
- Analyze historical sales data, customer forecasts, market trends, and business intelligence to improve forecast accuracy.
- Collaborate with Sales, Service, and Parts departments to understand demand drivers and future requirements.
- Monitor forecast accuracy and implement corrective actions to reduce forecast errors.
- Lead monthly demand review meetings and facilitate consensus forecasting processes.
- Review customer orders and forecast changes to identify opportunities and risks.
- Provide demand input to Purchasing and Supply Chain teams for inventory and procurement planning.
- Maintain forecasting models and planning parameters within ERP/MRP systems.
- Develop reports and dashboards to monitor forecast performance and demand trends.
- Establish and maintain inventory policies, safety stock levels, reorder points, and planning parameters.
- Monitor inventory turns, aging inventory, and excess/obsolete stock.
- Perform inventory analysis and recommend actions to improve working capital performance.
- Ensure inventory accuracy through cycle counting support and system reconciliation.
- Collaborate with Purchasing to optimize inventory investment while maintaining service levels.
- Develop inventory strategies for existing products, new product launches, and end-of-life products.
Production Planning & Scheduling (50%)
- Develop and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules based on customer demand, inventory levels, and manufacturing capacity.
- Release, manage, and monitor production work orders to ensure schedule adherence.
- Coordinate with Production / Aftermarket and Service Supervisors to optimize labor utilization, equipment capacity, and workflow.
- Monitor production progress and adjust schedules to address changing priorities, shortages, engineering changes, and capacity constraints.
- Review material availability and collaborate with Purchasing to ensure timely procurement of components and raw materials.
- Analyze production bottlenecks and implement recovery plans to minimize disruptions.
- Maintain accurate inventory levels to support production and Aftermarket while minimizing excess and obsolete inventory.
- Support new product introductions, engineering changes, and product phase-outs through effective planning.
- Monitor inventory performance and recommend inventory strategies for finished goods, WIP, and purchased materials.
Continuous Improvement
- Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Identify process inefficiencies and recommend improvements in planning, scheduling, inventory management, and material flow.
- Create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to planning activities.
- Develop planning metrics, KPIs, and performance dashboards.
- Participate in ERP/MRP system enhancements and process optimization projects.
Key Deliverables
- Accurate demand forecasts that support business growth and customer satisfaction.
- Effective production schedules that maximize capacity utilization and on-time delivery.
- Optimized inventory levels that balance customer service and working capital objectives.
- Reduced material shortages and production interruptions.
- Improved forecast accuracy and planning effectiveness.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration across Sales, Service, Purchasing, Production, and Engineering.
Qualifications
Education
- Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
- APICS/ASCM Certification (CPIM, CSCP) preferred.
Experience
- 3–5 years of experience in production planning, demand planning, inventory management, supply chain, or manufacturing operations.
- Experience working in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience using ERP/MRP systems in a planning capacity.
- Experience with forecasting methodologies and inventory management principles.
- Strong knowledge of integrated supply chain planning processes including demand forecasting, inventory optimization, MRP, MPS, S&OP, service parts planning, and capacity planning within a manufacturing environment.
- Experience with Global Shop ERP or similar systems is considered an asset.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Knowledge of forecasting techniques and inventory planning methodologies.
- Understanding of production scheduling and capacity planning.
- Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Excellent organizational and decision-making abilities.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Demand Planning
- Forecast Accuracy (%)
- Forecast Bias
- Customer Service Level
- Demand Plan Attainment
Production Planning
- Schedule Adherence
- On-Time Delivery (OTD)
- Production Efficiency
- Work Order Completion Rate
Inventory Management
- Inventory Turns
- Inventory Accuracy
- Material Availability
- Reduction in Excess and Obsolete Inventory
- Working Capital Performance
Overall Operations
- Customer Satisfaction
- Reduction of Production Interruptions
- Continuous Improvement Project Success
- Cross-Functional Planning Effectiveness
Application deadline is July 10th, 2026.
Pay: $65,000.00-$75,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Profit sharing
- RRSP match
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
