Maintenance Planner/Scheduler

About Verdant Specialty Solutions

Verdant Specialty Solutions is a global specialty chemical company. Its customers include world-leading personal care and home care brands, energy solutions providers, and industrial companies. Verdant’s vision is to be the go-to provider of batch specialty surfactant-based chemistry for applications in the consumer and industrial markets. Based in Houston, the company has nine locations in the US and Europe. Verdant’s international team of 280 employees are committed to safety, quality, and supply reliability.

Why Join Verdant?

Opportunities for growth Verdant is a fast-growing company that has the spirit of a small business. The company was formed in May 2021, so every employee plays an important role in culture and performance. It offers a dynamic ‘start up’ atmosphere with opportunities for professional growth.

Committed to safety Despite having the spirit of a small business, Verdant rivals larger companies in its commitment to safety. Verdant prides itself on industry-leading environmental, safety, health and quality standards. At Verdant, there is no priority higher than safety.

About the position

The Maintenance Planner/Scheduler plans and schedules all maintenance work including day-to-day activities, one-day outages, and major shut downs.  Additionally, the Maintenance Planner/Scheduler manages transactions for maintenance activities within the computerized maintenance management system, CMMS (ERP).

The Maintenance Planner/Scheduler performs all activities with the goal of making the maintenance department the example of workplace excellence at the plant.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Plan all maintenance work orders including:

• Walk down jobs and develop scope of work
• Evaluate jobs to assure they can be executed in a safe manner
• Develop bill of materials for job scopes
• Stage parts for jobs
• Estimate manpower needs
• Define and schedule outside service contractor needs for jobs
• Provide all necessary manuals, drawings, or other information to execute jobs

Schedule all planned maintenance work including:

• Understand and coordinate break-in jobs
• Define priorities for jobs with Production Supervisor/Manager
• Document jobs on maintenance schedule
• Accurately maintain the schedule

Manage maintenance department activities and costs through transactions within the CMMS (ERP)

• Move work orders through the system from submission through scheduling.
• Plan quality into every job.
• Provide the leadership to move the maintenance department and overall plant to world class performance.
• Lead the effort for a zero recordable record/safety performance of the maintenance department.
• Identify opportunities and implement solutions that move the manufacturing operation toward increased capacity through increased equipment reliability and reduced down time.
• Maintains key performance indicators and metrics as defined by the Maintenance Manager
• Creates or adjusts BOMs for equipment and material while ensuring the hierarchy of the CMMS (ERP) is maintained.
• Provide technical input on capital projects and / or equipment specifications.
• Maintain high standards for documentation accuracy (equipment list, P&ID’s, loop sheets, wiring diagrams, etc.)
• Continuous strive for improved communication between the maintenance department and all other departments at the plant.
• Work with the Storeroom Administrator to evaluate store room inventory needs (stock materials including minimum and maximum stocking levels)
• Works closely with reliability engineer to continuous improve preventative maintenance optimization.
• Work with project engineers to effectively leverage maintenance resources in the execution of capital projects.
• Drive continuous reliability improvement opportunities at the plant through assisting with identifying, scoping, and executing small projects.
• Assist, as needed, the Maintenance Supervisor in the execution of emergency work.

HSE Responsibility:

• Fully participate in plant HSE initiatives
• Complete computer base training to comply with health, safety, and environmental requirements and policies.
• Excellent working knowledge of life critical policies and procedures.
• Hazard recognition and permit identification for all planned work.  Written communication on the work orders along with verbal communication as needed.
• Working knowledge of MOC processes.
• Pulling correct parts from stores for the job based on plant standards for the particular process.
• Ordering correct parts that are not stock items based on plant standards.
• Work with the reliability engineer on maintaining and improving the PM/PdM and MI programs along with documentation to assure compliance with Site and regulatory standards.

Nature and Scope:

• The Maintenance Planner/Scheduler focuses on:

1. Fully defining the scope of each non-emergency work order,
2. Understanding emergency and break-in work orders and prioritizing resources
3. Securing and staging all necessary parts,
4. Evaluating each job to assure it can be executed in a safe manner,
5. Prioritizing planned work and
6. Coordinating execution needs with production.

•  This person maximizes the performance of maintenance resources by organizing work in an orderly, proactive manner utilizing the schedule to minimize production downtime and build in equipment reliability.  Additionally, the Maintenance Planner/Scheduler utilizes the CMMS (ERP) to accurately account for the activities and costs of the maintenance department.
• The Maintenance Planner/Scheduler spends approximately 60%, or greater, of his/her time planning work.  Included in planning is management of work orders through the CMMS from submission through scheduling.  An effectively planned job details the scope of work, fully defines all materials necessary to accomplish the job (including job kitting parts), coordinates all necessary pre-job steps (e.g. scaffolding, etc.), and thoroughly evaluates the plan to address all safety concerns. Effectively planned jobs increase the efficiency of maintenance resources, allowing more work to be performed in a shorter amount of time and with fewer resources. 
• The Maintenance Planner/Scheduler spends approximately 15% of his/her time accurately documenting material usage and contractor activities and subsequent costs of maintenance through transactions in the CMMS (ERP).  Accurate documentation allows analysis of department spending and equipment reliability indicators (e.g. MTBF, PM optimization, etc.).
• The Maintenance Planner/Scheduler spends approximately 15% of his/her time scheduling work.  Accurate scheduling assures planned jobs are coordinated with production and executed efficiently.  Scheduling work orders successfully, requires close cooperation with production.  Included in this time is upkeep of the maintenance schedule.
• The remainder of the Maintenance Planner/Scheduler’s time is spent on improvement activities.  Examples of improvement activities include involvement in small capital projects, store room development, documentation upgrades, procedure development, etc.
• The Maintenance Planner/Scheduler is a critical member of the team driving the department and plant to world-class performance by maintaining high standards for work and continually looking for improvement opportunities.

Requirements

Education:

• High School Diploma or GED

Experience:

• Requires working knowledge of chemical plant equipment (pumps, piping, heat exchangers, vessels, instrumentation, etc.) along with a
• Background in maintenance and repair of this equipment in order to effectively plan daily maintenance department actives. 
• Five or more years of industrial experience in a chemical plant, or other related industry, and Three years working in maintenance.

Skills:             

• Requires excellent organizational skills for planning all maintenance work along with good verbal communication skills for facilitating cooperation with all other departments.
• Experience as a planner/scheduler or indirectly through planning and scheduling activities as a mechanic. 
• Ability to effectively organize and manage daily activities, demonstrated problem solving ability and demonstrated willingness to take on more responsibility and difficult assignments.
• Good computer and written communication skills.  
• Knowledge of MS Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems is required. 
• Knowledge of MS PowerPoint and SAP a plus.
• Previous experience or familiarization with ordering spare parts and working within MRO storeroom requirements is a plus.
• Working knowledge of mechanical integrity of vessels, tanks, piping, rotating equipment, and other assets within the plant is preferred.

Benefits

• Competitive and comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits through Cigna.
• Generous matching 401k Plan
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Savings Account with employer contribution and yearly roll over (cannot be combined with FSA)
• Health advocacy and services
• Company paid life insurance
• Company paid short term disability insurance
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Other company paid programs including identity theft resolution, travel assistance, will preparation, discounts on gym membership and equipment, massage therapy, nutrition programs and smoking cessation.

EOE AA M/F/Vets/Disabled -- http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf