Planner/Scheduler

About POET

POET is dedicated to environmental stewardship by converting renewable resources into energy and valuable products with exceptional efficiency. With over three decades of innovation and commitment, POET stands as the world’s largest producer and marketer of bioethanol and a pioneer in sustainable product development.

Job Summary and Responsibilities

The Planner/Scheduler will play a crucial role in the daily, weekly, and outage planning and scheduling of maintenance activities on-site at Arthur, IA. This position is a vital part of a top-tier maintenance program, collaborating closely with site leadership to prioritize tasks and coordinate contractor scheduling with precision, cooperation, and effectiveness.

• Ensure all work orders comply with Environmental, Health & Safety, and Quality standards.
• Verify that technical requirements are incorporated into work orders to enable high-quality execution by both POET and contractors.
• Work alongside other POET bioprocessing staff and contractors to craft precise work order plans, reducing planning-related issues.
• Guarantee timely updating of work order statuses aligned with priority levels to facilitate completion.
• Manage outage planning and scheduling throughout the year.
• Serve as the contractor coordinator for maintenance projects.
• Take ownership of finalizing and communicating the weekly schedule one week ahead, leading a weekly scheduling meeting.
• Schedule maintenance technicians to ensure over 90% availability of their working hours each week.
• Collaborate with operations to align maintenance activities with production goals while upholding safety and environmental regulations.
• Promote a culture emphasizing safety and environmental responsibility continually.
• Support and advance food safety and quality protocols to uphold POET's standards of excellence.
• Contribute flexibly to additional team activities and tasks as needed.

Qualifications and Skills

• High school diploma or equivalent is mandatory.
• Experience with enterprise asset management systems such as IBM Maximo, SAP ERP, UpKeep, or equivalent is required.
• Possession of a Uptime Elements Maintenance Reliability Certification or similar credentials is advantageous.
• Capability and willingness to obtain and maintain forklift certification.
• Strong personal integrity and professionalism.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to effectively engage with various organizational levels and external partners.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.
• Adaptability to embrace and drive change initiatives.
• Superior organizational, time management, and communication skills.
• Innovative approach to challenges and operational processes.
• Ability to think objectively and communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing.
• Self-awareness and composure when facing uncertainties.
• Understanding of technical operations within a bioprocessing environment.
• Team collaboration mindset.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Frequently required to assume awkward postures involving back, shoulder, wrists, and hands; bend forward; reach overhead; pull weight up to 40 lbs; and kneel or crouch for up to 15 minutes.
• Occasional lifting or pulling up to 95 lbs, carrying up to 50 lbs, gripping force up to 80 lbs, pushing up to 20 lbs, pinching force of 20 lbs.
• Sitting for brief periods, sometimes with rotation.
• Wearing required Personal Protective Equipment such as hard hats, gloves, safety glasses, steel-toed boots, breathing apparatus, hazardous material suits, hearing protection, and harnesses.
• Working at heights around 150 feet, confined spaces, and in extreme temperature conditions ranging from -20 to 100°F indoors and outdoors.
• Use of various hand tools and machinery including skid loaders, wrenches, impact wrenches, payloader, and Trackmobile after training.
• Compliance with pre-employment physical and drug screening as well as ongoing random drug and alcohol tests due to nature of the role.

Benefits and Culture

• Opportunity for up to six competitive bonuses annually including quarterly profit sharing and value share.
• Generous paid time off starting with 40 hours on day one plus accrual; paid holidays.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage with employer Health Savings Account contributions.
• Competitive base pay and shift premium options.
• 401(k) plan with company matching.
• Paid parental leave and tuition reimbursement programs.
• Relocation assistance and bonuses for qualifying candidates and locations.
• Reimbursement for safety and cold weather gear.
• Discounted home and auto insurance policies.
• Wellness initiatives addressing mental, physical, and spiritual health.
• Supportive family-first work culture with onsite fitness centers or fitness reimbursements.
• Frequent team-building activities, volunteerism, and celebrations of successes.

Development Opportunities

POET promotes internal growth by empowering employees to forge career paths suited to their goals. Leadership provides resources to hone skills, meet objectives, and maximize individual impact. Compensation is personalized based on the applicant’s experience and qualifications.

Equal Employment Opportunity

POET is committed to fostering an inclusive, discrimination-free workplace where employment decisions are merit-based and uphold equal opportunity principles across recruitment, hiring, compensation, and promotion.