Planning Manager

Greencore Group plc; Warrington; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK manufacturer of convenience foods is seeking a Planning Manager (Maternity cover) to lead the team in creating production forecasts and schedules while ensuring cost efficiency and safety. The successful candidate will be experienced in supply chain management, budget management, and leading diverse teams. This role offers competitive salary and comprehensive benefits including a pension scheme and enhanced parental leave policies.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits

Holidays

Pension scheme up to 8% matched

Life insurance up to 4x salary

Company share save scheme

Exclusive employee discount platform

Wellbeing Centre access

Enhanced parental leave and menopause policies

Qualifications

• Ideal candidate should have experience in supply chain management.
• Proven experience in managing and negotiating with third-party logistics providers.
• Experience leading diverse teams with strong leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning systems to convert sales forecasts into production plans.
• Provide leadership to ensure the planning team is focused and performing.
• Collaborate with colleagues to build accurate sales forecasts.

Skills

Supply chain management

Budget management

People leadership

Customer service

Inventory management

Negotiation

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Job description

As a planning manager (Maternity cover), you'll lead the team responsible for creating production forecasts, schedules, placing material orders, and organising resources to meet customer and business targets across one or multiple manufacturing units. Your key responsibilities will include:

1. Leading planning systems to convert sales forecasts into achievable production and material plans that balance customer service with operational cost efficiency.
2. Providing leadership to ensure the planning team is safe, engaged, focused, developed, and performing to their potential.
3. Constructing budgets and managing expenditure to ensure business effectiveness and cost efficiency.
4. Collaborating with commercial and supply chain colleagues to build accurate sales forecasts and gather essential information for effective standard operating procedures.
5. Liaising with customers and participating in cross-functional forums such as NPD processes, working with the commercial team, customers, and suppliers to support joint business planning activities.
6. Monitoring compliance with policies, practices, legal, and customer standards, and developing plans to maximise compliance and audit readiness.

We are proud to be recognised in the Gender Equity Measure Top 100 for our commitment to gender equality.

Qualifications and experience required include:

• Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge and experience of supply chain management in a similar role.
• Understanding of sales order processing and distribution planning.
• Experience managing and negotiating with third-party logistics providers.
• Experience working with a broad range of suppliers.
• Experience in inventory management and ensuring material availability.
• Ability to manage customer expectations and deliver excellent service.
• Proven experience in managing budgets.
• Experience leading diverse teams with strong people leadership skills.

Why Greencore?

We are a leading UK manufacturer of convenience foods, committed to making everyday taste better. Employing 13,300 colleagues across 16 manufacturing units and 17 distribution depots, we supply a wide range of food products to UK retailers. Our Warrington site, known as the Italian centre of excellence, features recent expansions making it a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility producing high-quality Italian ready meals for Tesco & Co-Op.

If this sounds like you, join us to grow with Greencore and contribute to our future success. Benefits include:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Holidays
• Pension scheme up to 8% matched
• Life insurance up to 4x salary
• Company share save scheme
• Greencore Qualifications
• Exclusive employee discount platform
• Wellbeing Centre access
• Enhanced parental leave and menopause policies