Head of Planning

ZipRecruiter; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering company in South Birmingham is seeking a Head of Planning to lead their planning function. You'll drive efficiency, optimize capacity, and ensure on-time delivery while collaborating across departments. A background in aerospace or defence is advantageous. This role offers an opportunity to shape strategy and influence business performance.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in planning, scheduling, or supply chain management.
• A track record of delivering planning improvements and driving change.
• Strong knowledge of capacity planning and ERP/MRP systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Planning team.
• Oversee the Master Production Schedule to balance demand, capacity, and inventory.
• Analyse production data to identify risks, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.

Skills

Leadership experience in planning

Capacity planning knowledge

Communication skills

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Overview

Head of Planning
Location: South Birmingham

Lead the planning function for a global engineering business shaping the future of aerospace and advanced manufacturing. Are you a proven planning leader with experience in complex manufacturing or engineering environments? This is an exciting opportunity to step into a senior role where you’ll shape strategy, lead a talented team, and ensure operational excellence for a global organisation working with world-class customers.

As Head of Planning, you’ll take ownership of the planning function, driving efficiency, optimising capacity, and ensuring on-time delivery. You’ll be the key link between Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Commercial teams, ensuring alignment across the business and supporting new product introductions and major projects.

What you’ll do

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Planning team.
• Oversee the Master Production Schedule (MPS) to balance demand, capacity, and inventory.
• Analyse production data to identify risks, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Champion ERP/MRP systems and planning best practices to drive accuracy and efficiency.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement across the planning function.

What you’ll bring

• Significant leadership experience in planning, scheduling, or supply chain management.
• A track record of delivering planning improvements and driving change.
• Strong knowledge of capacity planning and ERP/MRP systems.
• Excellent stakeholder management, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Background in aerospace or defence would be highly advantageous.

This is a fantastic opportunity to play a pivotal role in a forward-thinking organisation, with the scope to influence business performance, drive innovation, and work on cutting-edge projects.