Head of Production Planning & UK Operations Excellence

James Fisher and Sons plc; Westhill; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early finish on Fridays

Competitive salary

Career development

Inclusive culture

Impactful work

Job summary

James Fisher and Sons plc is seeking a Lead Production Planner to optimise production performance, lead the planning team, balance customer demand, capacity and priorities, and deliver on-time results.

The role will lead the UK Production Planning function across sites, drive planning excellence, maintain robust schedules, and collaborate with Production, Procurement, Engineering and other stakeholders to ensure schedule adherence and continuous improvement of planning processes.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in production planning within a complex manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret complex data and translate insights into actions.
• Expert knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and master data management.
• Advanced Excel proficiency with forecasting and capacity planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead the UK Production Planning team, driving planning excellence and ensuring alignment across sites.
• Act as the key escalation point for planning-related challenges, resolving issues quickly to minimise disruption.
• Own planning KPIs, improve delivery performance, planning effectiveness and operational maturity.
• Develop and maintain robust production schedules using MRP outputs to balance demand and capacity.
• Collaborate with Production, Procurement, Engineering and other stakeholders to ensure schedule adherence.
• Monitor production performance, identify bottlenecks and implement corrective actions for on-time delivery.
• Analyse planning data to improve forecast accuracy and capacity planning capabilities.
• Create, release and manage complex works orders with accuracy and traceability.
• Maintain and improve MRP master data and ensure planning systems are reliable.
• Produce capacity analysis and KPI reporting to inform operational and strategic decisions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to standardise ways of working and boost performance.
• Build relationships with internal and external customers, providing timely updates and support.
• Coach and develop planners, fostering capability and a culture of continuous improvement.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Excel / forecasting tools

Scenario modelling tools

Job description

James Fisher and Sons plc is seeking a Lead Production Planner to optimise production performance, lead the planning team, balance customer demand, capacity and priorities, and deliver on-time results.

The role will lead the UK Production Planning function across sites, drive planning excellence, maintain robust schedules, and collaborate with Production, Procurement, Engineering and other stakeholders to ensure schedule adherence and continuous improvement of planning processes.