Production Planning Lead
Position Overview:
As a Production Planning Lead, you play a pivotal role in coordinating and optimizing our production processes to ensure efficiency, on-time delivery, and cost-effectiveness. Your expertise in production planning, and analytical skills is critical in driving the success of our operations.
Working hours:
Monday to Friday: 08:00am –17:00pm
Responsibilities:
- Lead daily and weekly production planning, aligning schedules with customer orders, forecasts, raw material availability and factory capacity.
- Manage and develop the Production Scheduler, Raw Materials Planner, Production Planner and Planning Assistant through clear objectives, coaching and performance reviews.
- Work with Operations, Purchasing, Commercial and Logistics to resolve shortages, capacity constraints and changing demand; communicate schedule changes and recovery plans promptly.
- Analyse demand, forecasts, stock and production data to support planning decisions and identify service risks early.
- Maintain accurate planning parameters, master data and schedules in ERP/MRP systems, supported by effective Excel analysis and reporting.
- Monitor schedule adherence, customer service, forecast accuracy, stock and waste, and drive improvements to planning processes and team resilience.
- Follow company health and safety, food safety, quality, ethical, environmental and energy standards, maintaining accurate records and traceability.
- Essential skills and experience:
- Substantial production planning experience, ideally in fast-paced manufacturing with short shelf-life products or complex production constraints.
- Experience supervising, leading or managing a team while remaining hands-on.
- Strong Excel skills and the ability to turn large datasets into practical planning decisions.
- Working knowledge of ERP/MRP, production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory control and demand forecasting.
- Strong communication, sound judgement and the ability to prioritise calmly under pressure.
- Desirable skills and experience
- Food manufacturing experience, particularly chilled or short shelf-life products.
- Power BI or similar reporting tools, and experience improving planning systems, data or processes.
- Exposure to sales and operations planning or execution, rough-cut capacity planning and KPI reporting.
- A relevant supply chain, operations or business qualification, or equivalent practical experience.
Job Types: Permanent, Full-time
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Canteen
- Company events
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Flexitime
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Leeds LS25 6PL: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Production Scheduling: 2 years (preferred)
- Production Management: 1 year (required)
Language:
- English (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person