Operations Planner

Forge Your Future with Us:

At Forge Biologics, we believe in turning bold ideas into life-changing realities. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to enable access to life-changing gene therapies and help bring them from ideas into reality. We partner with scientists, physicians, biotech and pharma innovators, and patient communities — all united by one goal: improving lives. If you’re driven by purpose and excited to make a tangible impact, this is where your journey begins.

Our team works out of The Hearth, a state-of-the-art, 200,000-square-foot cGMP facility in Columbus, Ohio. Here, you won’t just watch innovation happen — you’ll be part of it. Whether you’re scaling AAV manufacturing, collaborating on cutting-edge therapies, or supporting complex technical projects, you’ll play a key role in bringing hope to patients with genetic diseases.

What sets Forge apart is our culture of H.O.P.E. We are hardworking, showing up each day with determination and grit. We are open, creating a space where ideas flow freely and every voice is valued. We are purpose-driven, with every task directly tied to changing lives. And we are engaged, energized by the challenges we face and the milestones we achieve together.

At Forge, your growth matters. We’re committed to helping you expand your skills, take on new challenges, and develop your career through mentorship, hands-on learning, and opportunities for advancement. Our people are our greatest investment, and we’re proud to see team members grow with us.

If you’re ready to use your talent to help deliver hope to patients around the world, join us — and be part of something bigger than yourself.

About The Role: 

The Operations Planner is responsible for developing, maintaining, and optimizing integrated production schedules to support gene therapy manufacturing operations. This role ensures alignment across Clinical and Commercial GMP Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Plasmids, Process Development, Sales, Finance, and Program Management while balancing capacity constraints, material availability, and regulatory requirements in a highly controlled, yet constantly evolving, environment.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage master production schedules (MPS) for gene therapy manufacturing and corresponding support activities.
• Translate clinical and commercial demand forecasts into feasible manufacturing plans considering cleanroom capacity, equipment availability, labor, and campaign strategies.
• Coordinate closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, MSAT, and Project Management to ensure schedule adherence and rapid issue resolution.
• Monitor material readiness (critical raw materials, single-use components, vectors, etc) and proactively identify supply risks impacting production timelines.
• Lead short- and long-range capacity planning to support pipeline growth, tech transfers, and scale-up activities in order to advise the Commercial team on available openings for new clients
• Manage and communicate schedule changes driven by deviations, investigations, equipment downtime, resource limitations, or other applicable constraints.
• Analyze planning performance metrics (e.g., schedule adherence, capacity utilization, on-time delivery, days of supply, inventory turns, etc) and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain accurate planning data within ERP/MRP systems (Netsuite, SmartSheets, PowerBI and customized excel tools).
• Create process appropriate SOPs and Work Instructions, as it relates to planning accountabilities and update existing documentation, with a Continuous Improvement mindset.
• Participate in S&OP / IBP processes, scenario modeling, and risk mitigation planning.
• Listens attentively to internal departments and team members to relay information, responsibilities, and policies respectfully, effectively, and clearly

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Life Sciences, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in Operations Planning, Production Planning, or Materials Planning within biotech, pharmaceuticals, or GMP manufacturing facility
• Strong understanding of GMP manufacturing environments and regulated production workflows
• Comfortable in a fast paced and ever changing organization, where ambiguity of process exists
• Experience planning complex, multi-step processes with long lead times and constrained capacity
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and advanced Excel or planning tools
• Strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Committed to working in a team environment and supporting business in a respectful manner

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in cell and gene therapy, viral vectors (AAV, lentivirus), or similar manufacturing
• Familiarity with patient-specific or small-batch manufacturing models
• APICS certification (CPIM / CSCP) or similar
• Experience with capacity modeling and scenario planning tools

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned. 

Work Environment and Physical Demands  

Role resides in an office setting, with potential to be hybrid, based on mastery of role responsibilities and pertinent business needs.

Forge Biologics is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. Forge Biologics, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.