Production Planner

Job Title: Production Planner

Job Purpose

The Production Planner is responsible for planning and coordinating production schedules to ensure customer demand is met efficiently, safely, and in line with quality standards. The role balances customer orders, capacity, materials, and labour to deliver on-time, in-full performance while minimising waste and downtime.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly production plans for dessert manufacturing lines.
• Convert customer demand forecasts and sales orders into achievable production schedules.
• Liaise closely with Production, Technical, Quality, Engineering, and Procurement teams to ensure plan adherence.
• Monitor material availability (ingredients, packaging) and highlight shortages or risks.
• Adjust plans in response to equipment downtime, labour availability, or changes in demand.
• Ensure production plans comply with food safety, hygiene, allergen, and quality requirements.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as On Time In Full (OTIF), waste, and schedule adherence.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and optimise capacity.
• Maintain accurate planning data within ERP / MRP systems
• Communicate plans clearly to production teams and management

• Schedule NPD runs and sample within the weekly plan
• Carrying out ad hoc assignments or duties as required by the department

Skills & Experience

Essential:

• Experience in a planning or scheduling role within food manufacturing (dessert or bakery preferred)
• Strong understanding of production processes and capacity planning.
• Proficiency in ERP / MRP systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, short shelf-life manufacturing environment.

Desirable:

• Experience in dessert manufacturing.
• Knowledge of food safety standards (BRC, HACCP, retailer standards)
• Supply chain or production planning qualification (e.g. APICS, CIPS)
• Experience working with chilled, frozen or ambient food products.