Capacity Planner

Holt Engineering; Poole; On-site; GBP 36,500 - 40,750; Full time

Job summary

Holt Engineering in Poole is seeking a Capacity Planner to help balance workshop capacity with sales orders and production targets. You will use MRP and scheduling systems to improve visibility, loading and workflow, and collaborate with the Workshop Supervisor and Manufacturing Manager.

This role focuses on planning workshop capacity, loading work through production and improving schedules beyond spreadsheets.

Qualifications

• Experience in production planning, capacity planning or workshop scheduling.
• Confident using MRP, scheduling systems, Excel and Microsoft Office.
• Able to manage changing priorities across orders, machines and production issues.
• Strong IT skills with the ability to improve how planning information is used and maintained.
• Good communication skills and comfortable liaising with workshop and management teams.
• Organised, reliable and able to keep accurate data in a busy manufacturing environment.
• Willing to learn, with a positive attitude and practical approach to problem solving.
• Manufacturing or engineering experience would be useful, but the right planning mindset is more important.

Responsibilities

• Use MRP and scheduling software to plan manufacturing capacity against sales order deadlines.
• Load and adjust workshop schedules around machine availability, holidays, sickness and breakdowns.
• Communicate the production schedule clearly to workshop staff and relevant managers.
• Progress works orders through the production cycle and highlight issues early.
• Identify bottlenecks in manufacturing and help agree practical solutions.
• Measure and report KPIs including schedule adherence, equipment utilisation, efficiency and productivity.
• Keep manufacturing data accurate within planning and MRP systems.
• Create, update and maintain manufacturing routing cards.
• Raise purchase orders for mid-process subcontract operations.
• Purchase consumables in a timely and cost-conscious way.
• Liaise with the Machine Shop Supervisor on technical details affecting production planning.
• Support continuous improvement across planning, scheduling, workflow and system use.
• Help reduce reliance on spreadsheets by making better use of Factory Master and related systems.

Skills

Production planning

Capacity planning

Workshop scheduling

Excel

Microsoft Office

Communication skills

Data accuracy

Problem solving

Tools

Factory Master

MRP systems

Scheduling software

Job description

Capacity Planner

Poole

Capacity Planner salary: £36,500 – £40,750

Please note: only applicants with the full-time, permanent right to work in the UK will be considered.

Capacity Planner Overview:

Plan workshop capacity to meet sales order deadlines and production targets

Use MRP and scheduling systems to improve visibility, loading and workflow

Work closely with the Workshop Supervisor and Manufacturing Manager

Monitor bottlenecks, schedule adherence, utilisation, productivity and efficiency

Help move planning away from spreadsheets and into better system-led processes

This Capacity Planner role is with a manufacturing business in Poole and will focus on planning workshop capacity, loading work through production and improving the way schedules are managed. The Capacity Planner will work closely with the Workshop Supervisor and Manufacturing Manager, using MRP and scheduling tools to keep manufacturing activity aligned with sales order deadlines, machine capacity, staffing and operational priorities. This Capacity Planner position would suit someone with production planning, capacity planning or workshop scheduling experience who is organised, IT-confident and willing to help improve systems and processes.

Day-to-day responsibilities of a Capacity Planner

• Use MRP and scheduling software to plan manufacturing capacity against sales order deadlines
• Load and adjust workshop schedules around machine availability, holidays, sickness and breakdowns
• Communicate the production schedule clearly to workshop staff and relevant managers
• Progress works orders through the production cycle and highlight issues early
• Identify bottlenecks in manufacturing and help agree practical solutions
• Measure and report KPIs including schedule adherence, equipment utilisation, efficiency and productivity
• Keep manufacturing data accurate within planning and MRP systems
• Create, update and maintain manufacturing routing cards
• Raise purchase orders for mid-process subcontract operations
• Purchase consumables in a timely and cost-conscious way
• Liaise with the Machine Shop Supervisor on technical details affecting production planning
• Support continuous improvement across planning, scheduling, workflow and system use
• Help reduce reliance on spreadsheets by making better use of Factory Master and related systems

What they’re looking for - Capacity Planner

• Experience in production planning, capacity planning, workshop scheduling or a similar manufacturing planning role
• Confident using MRP, scheduling systems, Excel and Microsoft Office
• Able to manage changing priorities across orders, machines, people and production issues
• Strong IT skills, with the ability to improve how planning information is used and maintained
• Good communication skills and comfortable liaising with workshop and management teams
• Organised, reliable and able to keep accurate data in a busy manufacturing environment
• Willing to learn, with a positive attitude and practical approach to problem solving
• Manufacturing or engineering experience would be useful, but the right planning mindset is more important

Desirable - Capacity Planner

• Experience using Factory Master or similar manufacturing planning software
• Background in machine shop, CNC, precision engineering or workshop-led manufacturing
• Understanding of routing cards, works orders and production KPIs
• ISO9001 awareness
• Experience purchasing consumables or raising purchase orders for subcontract work

What’s on offer - Capacity Planner

Capacity Planner salary: £36,500 – £40,750

A Capacity Planner role with real influence over workshop loading, production visibility and day-to-day manufacturing flow.

The chance to improve planning processes, reduce spreadsheet reliance and make better use of existing systems.

A practical manufacturing environment where good organisation, communication and data accuracy will make a visible difference.