Planning Manager

Spirax-Sarco Engineering; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Cheltenham is seeking a Planning Manager to oversee production planning for UK Supply. You will be responsible for forecasting, capacity planning, production scheduling, and stock management to ensure high-performance results. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills and a proven track record in process improvements. This role offers a competitive salary, flexible working options, and excellent benefits including a holiday allowance, healthcare, and a strong commitment to inclusivity.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Discretionary bonus

27 days holiday allowance

Comprehensive private healthcare

Enhanced pension plan

Life assurance

Flexible benefits

Free onsite parking

Qualifications

• Experience in leading a supply chain planning team.
• Strong leadership and resilience in complex change initiatives.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage planning processes and ensure world-class standards.
• Drive process improvement and standardization.
• Develop KPIs and management reports for decision-making.

Skills

Cross functional leadership

Forecasting and Sales Operational planning

Lean practices

Stakeholder engagement

Proactive communication

Problem solving

Job description

Planning Manager

Description

To take responsibility for Production Planning for UK Supply. The primary scope will include forecasting, capacity planning, production scheduling and stock management in line with customer forecast/demand. To lead and drive the strategy within Planning for UK Supply to deliver high performance results in health, safety, employee engagement, team development, profitable growth and world class customer service.

Responsibilities

• Full responsibility for developing, implementing and managing the end to end planning processes in UK Supply to a world class standard. Including all aspects of managing the appropriate inventory levels of raw material, purchased and manufactured components and finished goods through to customer delivery to achieve world class customer service levels.
• Support and drive process improvement including the effective use of IQM (Inventory Quality Management), ERP/ MRP and production planning tools.
• Work towards full Sales and Operations Planning best practice including on-going benchmarking to optimise the potential of the business.
• Responsible for Customer service metrics, to include but not exclusively: On Time To Request, On Time to Commit, Overdue to request and commit date, Sales at risk, Number of items on extended lead time.
• Standardisation of processes and procedures across the three planning teams (Materials, Machine shop, Assembly) as appropriate.
• Primary areas of focus incude forecasting, capacity planning, production scheduling and inventory management including excess and surplus stock management.
• Effective communication with key internal and external stakeholders regarding delivery and lead time issues.
• Build strong and effective relationships across UK Supply and the wider business network including key supply sites and operating companies.
• Develop KPIs and management reports to support and improve decision making across the teams and provide accurate information for escalation to senior leadership team.
• Effective leadership of the team, to include clear objectives, development plans and feedback.
• Identify and support projects and change initiatives and be the go to person for Planning input.
• Maintain and identify areas for improvement in Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) standards and support EHS initiatives.

Skills & Experience

• Leading a cross functional and multi-disciplined supply chain planning team.
• Delivering through forecasting, Sales and Operational planning enabling excellent customer service in a manufacturing environment.
• Leading a team to deliver tangible results.
• Commercially and numerically astute.
• Lean practices: workplace organisation, problem solving, process, Kaizen and continuous improvements.
• Experience and clear understand of managing Planning processes and systems essential.
• Developing strategies through to action and delivery.
• Track record of strong leadership, resilience and a commercial outlook during the delivery of complex change management initiatives.
• Ability to engage stakeholders across all functions across the hierarchy to deliver high performance against key metrics, in line with the Core Values.
• Excellent influencing, organisation, proactive communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work in a high-pressure and fast-paced environment where demands may be conflicting or challenging.

The Steam Thermal Solutions business is one of three businesses within Spirax Group. Spirax Sarco and Gestra, are our two brands that form Steam Thermal Solutions and are global leaders in the supply of engineered solutions for the design, provision and maintenance of efficient industrial and commercial steam systems. Steam Thermal Solutions has global coverage across 67 operating units (called OpCos), organised into four Divisions: EMEA, APAC, Americas, Gestra.

Spirax Group is a FTSE100 and FTSE4Good multi-national industrial engineering Group with expertise in the control and management of steam, electric thermal solutions, peristaltic pumping and associated fluid technologies.

Our Purpose is to create sustainable value for all our stakeholders as we engineer a more efficient, safer and sustainable world. Our technologies play an essential role in critical industrial processes and industrial equipment across industries as diverse as Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology, Power Generation, Semiconductors and Healthcare. With customers in 165 countries, we provide the solutions that sit behind the production of many items used in daily life, from baked beans to mobile phones!

Our Purpose, supported by our inclusive culture and Values, unites us, guides our decisions and inspires us everywhere that we operate. We support our colleagues to make their difference for each other as well as customers, communities, suppliers, our planet and shareholders by creating a truly equitable working environment where everyone feels included.

Benefits

You will receive a competitive salary (and a discretionary bonus), flexible working and excellent benefits including 27 days holiday allowance (before bank holidays), 3 days’ paid volunteering leave, comprehensive private healthcare, enhanced pension plan, life assurance, optional participation in a Share Ownership Plan, free onsite parking, flexible benefits, and access to a personal discounts’ portal. We also offer a range of additional support and benefits through our Everyone is Included Group Inclusion Plan, detailed below.

Everyone is Included at Spirax Group

We are passionate about creating inclusive and equitable working cultures where everyone can be themselves and achieve their full potential. For us, that means supportive teams and strong relationships where everyone’s contribution is valued – across social and cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, genders, gender identities, abilities, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and everything else that makes us human and unique.

We want everyone to be able to make their difference here, so we will always consider requests for flexible working.

We know that everyone needs some extra help from time to time too, so we have introduced a range of additional benefits through our Group Inclusion Commitments. These include gender-neutral parental leave, 15 days of extra paid caregiver leave, paid time off and support for anyone experiencing pregnancy loss or domestic abuse, menopause-friendly workplace principles and more. Learn more at https://www.spiraxgroup.com/en/life-at-spirax/our-inclusive-group/our-inclusion-commitments.

We are also a Disability Confident Committed Employer. If you would like to apply using this scheme, please select this option in our application form or notify our recruitment partners.