Planning Manager

Sharp and Carter; Gladstone Regional; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Sharp and Carter leads a site-based planning function at a large regional Queensland heavy-industrial processing plant. The role manages a team of planners aligned to plant sections, working with the Shutdown Manager, engineering and maintenance leadership.

Credibility on the floor with trades is essential as priorities shift with operations. The position offers potential progression to senior maintenance leadership, with a mature SAP setup, KPI suite, and a skilled workforce.

Qualifications

• Maintenance planning, scheduling and team leadership in a heavy-asset environment.
• Strong SAP/CMMS skills including planning master data and KPI reporting.
• Experience planning and supporting major shutdowns.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and provide continuity for the planning team.
• Own maintenance planning and scheduling across a complex site.
• Plan and support delivery of five to six shutdowns each year.
• Embed and sustain planning disciplines and KPI routines.

Skills

Planning leadership

SAP CMMS

Shutdown planning

Team leadership

Job description

About the opportunity

We're seeking an experienced Planning Manager to lead the maintenance planning function at a large, integrated heavy-industrial processing plant in regional Queensland. The site runs a well-configured SAP environment, an established suite of planning KPIs and a skilled, multi-trade workforce, with significant annual maintenance spend and a structured shutdown program through the year. This is a site-based leadership role at the centre of the maintenance function, with potential to progress into senior maintenance leadership over time.

Reports to: Maintenance Manager

Employment type: Full-time, permanent

About the role

You'll lead a team of planners, each aligned to a section of the plant, and work in step with the Shutdown Manager, engineering and maintenance leadership. You'll partner with roughly 30 fitters and electricians, so credibility on the floor and in the workshop matters as much as system capability. The plant is dynamic, and priorities can shift quickly with operational demands. The role suits a leader who stays composed through change and keeps long-term reliability in focus.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, develop and provide continuity for the planning team
• Own maintenance planning and scheduling across a complex, heavy-asset site
• Plan and support delivery of five to six shutdowns each year, working closely with the Shutdown Manager
• Embed and sustain existing planning disciplines and KPI routines, including schedule adherence, PM ratio and efficiency
• Strengthen SAP utilisation, including master data and continuous process improvement
• Provide clear, practical maintenance cost information to support decision-making
• Be visible in the workshop and during shutdowns, validating scope, labour and task durations with the trades
• Work alongside the site capex team where required

About you

You're a practical, commercially minded planning leader with the experience to lead and the humility to learn a site's way of working. You're hands-on, approachable and comfortable working with trades, engineers and operational teams at every level.

You will ideally have:

• Maintenance planning, scheduling and team leadership experience in a heavy-asset, complex industrial environment
• Strong SAP/CMMS skills, including planning master data, PM optimisation and maintenance performance reporting
• Experience planning and supporting major shutdowns
• Experience in a comparable heavy-process manufacturing environment (industry fit matters more than a precise title)
• Senior Planners with proven leadership potential will also be considered
• A practical mindset, focused on changes that help the trades get the job done
• Willingness to be visible on site and support critical work outside normal hours when operations require it

Why this role

• Potential to progress into a Maintenance Manager position over time
• Lead a function with strong foundations in place, including a mature SAP setup and KPI suite
• Work alongside a skilled, experienced workforce in a practical, collaborative culture
• Influence reliability and shutdown outcomes across a large, high-value asset base
• Visible leadership position with direct access to maintenance leadership