Engineering Planner

DS Smith; Sittingbourne; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity for an Engineering Planner at DS Smith in Kemsley. This role involves planning mechanical work, supporting maintenance operations, and ensuring compliance with site standards. Candidates should have relevant experience in heavy industrial manufacturing, preferably in paper mills, and possess strong planning and communication skills. Benefits include 25 days holiday, pension scheme, and employee assistance programs.

Benefits

25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

Pension and share scheme

Life assurance and income protection

Employee assistance programme

Cycle to work scheme and corporate discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in heavy industrial process manufacturing.
• Familiar with continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• Maintenance experience in paper mill production is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Planning all mechanical work for scheduled maintenance.
• Delivering agreed KPIs and supporting breakdowns.
• Leading problem-solving activities and planning statutory inspections.

Skills

Planning

Communication

Problem Solving

Organizational Skills

Education

Time served Apprenticeship or NVQ Level 3

HND or Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

SAP

Job description

About The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Manufacturing site in Kemsley, and we have an opening for an Engineering Planner to join the team and support all aspects of Mechanical Engineering activities within the site operation. The role can be directly associated with the operations teams or within our support function.

Responsibilities will include (but not limited to):

1. Planning all mechanical work supporting scheduled maintenance programmes, whether on the run or for planned shutdowns, ensuring all activities meet site standards.
2. Delivering all agreed KPIs for the role.
3. Supporting breakdowns where appropriate.
4. Standing in for Area Engineering Managers.
5. Leading or participating in problem-solving activities.
6. Developing the CMMS to ensure all assets are correctly identified and supported by spares and documentation as per the criticality process.
7. Planning and executing statutory insurance inspections.
8. Identifying and implementing cost-saving initiatives.
9. Monitoring and communicating about cost overruns.
10. Identifying equipment obsolescence and ensuring plans are in place for timely replacement or recovery options in case of equipment failure.

About You

Minimum requirements:

• Time served Apprenticeship or NVQ Level 3; HND or Degree is an advantage.
• Maintenance experience in heavy industrial process manufacturing; paper mill maintenance experience, especially in liner and fluting production, is highly desirable.
• Experience with best practice standards, practices, and processes in precision maintenance.
• Proven skills in Microsoft Office and planning tools.
• Working knowledge of SAP.
• Experience in planning within a manufacturing environment, familiar with continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• Highly organized, personable, good communicator, comfortable making decisions in a fast-paced, time-pressured environment, with a proactive approach to change management.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays.
• Pension and share scheme.
• Life assurance and income protection.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Cycle to work scheme and corporate discounts.

Location: Kemsley Mill – Monday to Friday with an on-call rota.

About Us

We’re DS Smith, a company redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe in a sustainable future, supported by a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Operating in over 30 countries, we serve sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e-commerce, delivering market-leading sustainable packaging solutions. We are committed to inclusion, fairness, and equal opportunity for all candidates, regardless of meeting all criteria.