About the Role
Production planning is where customer orders, materials, machinery, and deadlines come together. When one part changes, the plan needs to adapt quickly without creating delays elsewhere.
As a Production Planner, you will organise and maintain day-to-day manufacturing schedules, making sure production orders are released at the right time and that materials and resources are available when needed. You will work closely with production, purchasing, warehouse, and customer service teams to keep work moving efficiently from order confirmation through to completion.
Much of the role is about turning changing requirements into a workable production sequence. You might start the day reviewing capacity and outstanding orders, adjust a schedule because materials have been delayed, then coordinate a priority customer order while updating production records and expected completion dates.
Responsibilities
- Prepare and maintain daily and weekly production schedules.
- Convert confirmed customer orders into practical manufacturing plans.
- Review production capacity, available labour, materials, and equipment before scheduling work.
- Release production orders according to agreed priorities and required delivery dates.
- Monitor progress against the production schedule and identify potential delays.
- Adjust plans when customer priorities, material availability, or production capacity changes.
- Coordinate with purchasing teams regarding shortages and expected material deliveries.
- Work with warehouse teams to confirm that required materials are available for scheduled production.
- Communicate schedule changes and production priorities to supervisors and relevant departments.
- Maintain accurate production planning information within ERP or manufacturing systems.
- Track open production orders and follow up on jobs that fall behind schedule.
- Support planning for urgent, short-notice, or high-priority customer requirements.
- Review stock levels and planned material usage when preparing future schedules.
- Help minimise unnecessary production downtime and scheduling conflicts.
- Maintain planning spreadsheets, order trackers, and production records.
- Prepare routine reports covering production progress, outstanding orders, capacity, and schedule performance.
- Assist with investigating recurring causes of production delays.
- Support continuous improvements to scheduling and planning processes.
Qualifications
- Previous experience in production planning, manufacturing coordination, scheduling, supply chain, or a related operational role is preferred.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple production orders and changing deadlines.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
- Experience using ERP, MRP, manufacturing, or production planning software would be advantageous.
- Comfortable working with quantities, production dates, inventory information, and order data.
- Strong attention to detail when preparing and updating schedules.
- Ability to communicate effectively with production, warehouse, purchasing, and commercial teams.
- Good problem-solving skills and the ability to revise plans when circumstances change.
- Experience within packaging, printing, manufacturing, FMCG, or similar production environments would be beneficial.
- Ability to interpret basic production and inventory reports.
Pay: £34,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
