What does a lead planner do?
Lead planner responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead planner resumes:
- Develop and manage ISO work instructions and documentation.
- Coordinate and manage high visibility and important customer BOM changes.
- Develop the baseline schedule for EPC projects.
- Lead all CPM schedule coordination, creation and maintenance efforts.
- Used MRP as a forecast tool to place orders for require parts.
- Involve in all aspects of planning and scheduling of the EPC schedule for the entire project.
- Expose schedule risks to pipeline expansion project with the use of a logic link CPM schedule.
- Maintain upgrades and modifications to support turnaround organization databases
- Select and propose key non-turnaround work scopes for early execution during facility turnaround reducing 5000 man-hours from project critical path.
- Investigate BOM structure by reviewing project schedules and adjustments to original requirements in accordance with yield delays engineering and contractual changes.
- Determine, monitor, and review IMS schedule.
- Input status into P6 IMS schedule for all projects, maintenance and operations site.
- Review requirements and engineering documentation for ECN cut-ins.
Lead planner skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Lead Planners are proficient in Logistics, Primavera P6, and Turnaround. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Lead Planners that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Logistics, 15%
Lead Project Manager for 3rd Party Logistics (3PL) move from Madison, WI to FedEx in Memphis, TN.
- Primavera P6, 6%
Create, edit, and apply custom activity codes to assemble and organize Primavera P6 layouts based on current project requirements.
- Turnaround, 6%
Selected and proposed key non-turnaround work scopes for early execution during facility turnaround reducing 5000 man-hours from project critical path.
- Project Controls, 5%
Updated Departmental procedures to ensure Scheduling procedures minimized claims and integrates seamlessly within the project controls methodology.
- DOD, 4%
Supported the Earned Value Management System team to ensure regulatory compliance within DoD programs.
- Customer Orders, 4%
Placed parts requisition and shop orders (In-plant machining) Expedited purchase and customer orders Maintained inventory at balanced levels.
Common skills that a lead planner uses to do their job include "logistics," "primavera p6," and "turnaround." You can find details on the most important lead planner responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a lead planner to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." Additionally, a lead planner resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "developed and maintained resource loaded epc schedule for $90mm communications project utilizing primavera p6 contractor. "
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling lead 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 a lead planner resume, here's how lead planners can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "managed event day logistics, including staging, set-up and strike; adherence to event schedule, and guest hospitality. "
Detail oriented. lead planners are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to lead planner responsibilities, because "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." A lead planner resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "conducted detailed planning and scheduling using primavera p6.2. "
Math skills. For certain lead planner responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a lead planner rely on this skill, as "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what lead planners do: "demand planning/forecasting (quantitative, qualitative, intrinsic, extrinsic) administer/analyze/forecast vendor managed inventory (vmi) programs cycle analysis. "
The three companies that hire the most lead planners are:
- Bechtel Corporation4 lead planners jobs
- Waymo3 lead planners jobs
- Koch Industries2 lead planners jobs
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Lead planner vs. Inventory control coordinator
An inventory control coordinator is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of office inventory to ensure that the company has enough supplies to support the employees' needs for business operations. Inventory control coordinators manage supply chain systems, conduct inventory checks regularly, write inventory reports, create purchase requests, and file inventory documents on the database. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in analyzing the chain processes, and strictly adhere to the company's internal guidelines and regulations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between lead planners and inventory control coordinator. For instance, lead planner responsibilities require skills such as "primavera p6," "turnaround," "project controls," and "dod." Whereas a inventory control coordinator is skilled in "customer service," "data entry," "purchase orders," and "inventory control procedures." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Inventory control coordinators tend to make the most money working in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,327. In contrast, lead planners make the biggest average salary, $67,568, in the manufacturing industry.inventory control coordinators tend to reach lower levels of education than lead planners. In fact, inventory control coordinators are 9.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Lead planner vs. Inventory coordinator
An inventory coordinator specializes in overseeing the supply flow of materials in a warehouse or similar setting. It is their responsibility to manage and handle the inventory, ensuring that the quantity and quality of materials align with company standards. Moreover, they are also responsible for assessing staff's performance, coordinating with different employees to ensure the accuracy of services, gathering and organizing data, maintaining records of transactions, and responding to any inquiries or concerns. As an inventory coordinator, it is essential to devise strategies for optimal performance, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, lead planner responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "primavera p6," "turnaround," "project controls," and "dod." Meanwhile, an inventory coordinator has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "cleanliness," "sales floor," and "physical inventory." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Inventory coordinators earn a lower average salary than lead planners. But inventory coordinators earn the highest pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $40,639. Additionally, lead planners earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $67,568 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Inventory coordinators tend to reach lower levels of education than lead planners. In fact, they're 9.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from lead planner resumes include skills like "primavera p6," "turnaround," "project controls," and "dod," whereas a material coordinator is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "purchase orders," "data entry," and "shipping receiving. "
Material coordinators earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $41,571. Lead planners earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $67,568.material coordinators typically earn lower educational levels compared to lead planners. Specifically, they're 8.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead 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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between lead planners and master schedulers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a lead planner might have more use for skills like "primavera p6," "turnaround," "project controls," and "dod." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of master schedulers require skills like "customer service," "program management," "continuous improvement," and "primavera. "
In general, master schedulers earn the most working in the energy industry, with an average salary of $78,633. The highest-paying industry for a lead planner is the manufacturing industry.The average resume of master schedulers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to lead planners. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.6%.Types of lead planner
Updated January 8, 2025











