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What does an assistant planner do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

An assistant planner is responsible for assisting the chief planner in identifying services and activities to help business functional operations and processes. Assistant planners usually coordinate with various departments to connect projects and develop business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the business and increase profitability. They also reach out to potential clients, discuss the services offered by the company, and prepare contracts for partnerships. An assistant planner must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in focusing on techniques that would help the business achieve its long-term goals and objectives.

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Assistant planner responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real assistant planner resumes:

  • Manage product flow in apparel category; determining order quantities and generating purchase orders for new and replenishment orders.
  • Used EDI for customer order releases and shipping information.
  • Price, negotiate and book shipments with customers and brokers via phone, email tenders and EDI.
  • Facilitate ISO audits as a lead quality inspector and maintain documentation revision and version control in adherence with ISO standards.
  • Create marketing campaigns through Volusion e-Commerce software, MyEmma email campaigns, USPS mail, & Facebook to drive revenue sales.
  • Analyze and recap sales results and inventory forecasts and present business recaps to senior management at quarterly update meetings.
  • Provide weekly KPI scorecard with key metrics including fill rate and slow moving inventory $.
  • Develop and implement a what-if WIP analysis tool at 7 fab sites; also provide training and technical support.
  • Supervise environmental permitting and approve cost estimates for preparation of NEPA documents and technical support documents for state and local projects.

Assistant planner skills and personality traits

We calculated that 8% of Assistant Planners are proficient in Strong Analytical, Purchase Orders, and Allocation Strategies. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.

We break down the percentage of Assistant Planners that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Strong Analytical, 8%

    Utilized strong analytical skills to develop seasonal financial strategies and inventory turn opportunities.

  • Purchase Orders, 8%

    Managed purchase orders and basic replenishment systems to maintain appropriate stock levels, identifying possible opportunities.

  • Allocation Strategies, 6%

    Recommend assortment and allocation strategies based on productivity to department and mid management.

  • GIS, 5%

    Maintained planning files, mapped city streets using GIS system and various administrative type duties in the planning department.

  • Inventory Productivity, 5%

    Make recommendations for key financial meetings/decisions in order to maximize sales, margin and inventory productivity.

  • Inventory Management, 5%

    Developed reports, tools and system for production planning, inventory management and inventory replenishment.

Common skills that an assistant planner uses to do their job include "strong analytical," "purchase orders," and "allocation strategies." You can find details on the most important assistant planner responsibilities below.

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an assistant planner to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what assistant planners do because "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." Additionally, an assistant planner resume shows how assistant planners use communication skills: "ensured positive communication with vendors and logistics for optimal flow efficiency of receipts. "

Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling assistant planner duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "material recording clerks may interact with customers in order to respond to problems or complaints." According to an assistant planner resume, here's how assistant planners can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "research and resolve customer issues by coordinating with technical assistance, engineers and planners. "

Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of assistant planners is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday assistant planner duties, as "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "use of autocad lt to create proposed layouts, detailing any new and/or excess product. "

Math skills. assistant planner responsibilities often require "math skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." This resume example shows what assistant planners do with math skills on a typical day: "demand planning/forecasting (quantitative, qualitative, intrinsic, extrinsic) administer/analyze/forecast vendor managed inventory (vmi) programs cycle analysis. "

All assistant planner skills

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Compare different assistant planners

Assistant planner vs. Material coordinator

A material coordinator is in charge of processing requisitions and ensuring that all departments receive necessary goods and materials within a company. Aside from this, they must maintain positive engagements with vendors, suppliers, and business partners, negotiate contracts, manage schedules of deliveries, and prioritize cost-efficient goods. It is also a material coordinator's responsibility to keep an accurate record of inventory, secure sensitive data, and coordinate with all departments to ensure that all transactions are efficient and precise.

The annual salary of material coordinators is $40,274 lower than the average salary of assistant planners.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both assistant planner and material coordinator positions are skilled in purchase orders, inventory management, and mrp.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between assistant planners and material coordinator. For instance, assistant planner responsibilities require skills such as "strong analytical," "allocation strategies," "gis," and "inventory productivity." Whereas a material coordinator is skilled in "logistics," "customer service," "production schedules," and "data entry." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Material coordinators tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $41,571. In contrast, assistant planners make the biggest average salary, $86,031, in the media industry.On average, material coordinators reach lower levels of education than assistant planners. Material coordinators are 8.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant planner vs. Expeditor

The role of expeditors is to ensure the timely and efficient preparation and delivery of food. To accomplish this task, they also perform other duties, including managing inventory levels, managing supply requisition, and coordinating with subcontractors. They are also responsible for streamlining interdepartmental communication, monitoring job progress, and collaborating with project managers to collect relevant information about job status. This role requires specific skills and qualifications, including a high school diploma or an associate degree in food service, business management, and hospitality management, relevant work experience, and certifications in CCP, CPSM, or CPPB.

Expeditor positions earn lower pay than assistant planner roles. They earn a $40,546 lower salary than assistant planners per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both assistant planners and expeditors have skills such as "purchase orders," "inventory management," and "pos. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, assistant planner responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "strong analytical," "allocation strategies," "gis," and "inventory productivity." Meanwhile, an expeditor has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "cleanliness," "house training," and "team work." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Expeditors may earn a lower salary than assistant planners, but expeditors earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $46,040. On the other hand, assistant planners receive higher pay in the media industry, where they earn an average salary of $86,031.expeditors earn lower levels of education than assistant planners in general. They're 9.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant planner vs. Master scheduler

A master scheduler is in charge of overseeing and developing a company's overall production schedule, ensuring quality and workforce adherence. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to determine their needs, developing daily schedules and objectives, disseminating scheduling notices, and conducting regular inspections to ensure the completion of projects in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, a master scheduler must produce progress reports and encourage workforce members to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

On average scale, master schedulers bring in lower salaries than assistant planners. In fact, they earn a $2,624 lower salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on assistant planners and master schedulers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "strong analytical," "inventory management," and "master plan.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from assistant planner resumes include skills like "purchase orders," "allocation strategies," "gis," and "inventory productivity," whereas a master scheduler is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "program management," "continuous improvement," and "microsoft project. "

Master schedulers make a very good living in the energy industry with an average annual salary of $78,633. On the other hand, assistant planners are paid the highest salary in the media industry, with average annual pay of $86,031.When it comes to education, master schedulers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to assistant planners. In fact, they're 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant planner vs. Inventory control lead

An Inventory Control Lead oversees supplies in an organization, aiming to meet market demands and avoid oversupply. They perform regular inspections and assessments, review invoices and other documentation, monitor product distribution operations, and produce regular progress reports. It is their responsibility to address issues and concerns, resolve them promptly, and efficiently maintain smooth workflow operations. Moreover, an Inventory Control Lead manages different teams, encouraging them to reach goals while implementing company policies and guidelines.

Inventory control leads typically earn lower pay than assistant planners. On average, inventory control leads earn a $35,202 lower salary per year.While both assistant planners and inventory control leads complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like purchase orders, inventory management, and distribution centers, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An assistant planner uses "strong analytical," "allocation strategies," "gis," and "inventory productivity." Inventory control leads are more likely to have duties that require skills in "logistics," "inventory adjustments," "physical inventory," and "inventory cycle counts. "The energy industry tends to pay the highest salaries for inventory control leads, with average annual pay of $55,732. Comparatively, the highest assistant planner annual salary comes from the media industry.inventory control leads reach lower levels of education compared to assistant planners, in general. The difference is that they're 7.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of assistant planner

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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