Production Planner

Woods Air Movement; Colchester; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Sick pay

Employee discount

Cycle to work

Free parking

Training & development

Mental health support

Job summary

Woods Air Movement, part of FläktGroup, is seeking an experienced Planning Professional to develop and maintain integrated material and production plans. You will coordinate supply, production and capacity to meet customer demand and optimise service, cost and inventory across the Colchester site.

The role requires 5+ years in manufacturing, strong MRP and Dynamics AX 2012 experience, and excellent Excel skills. Hybrid working and a comprehensive benefits package are offered.

Qualifications

• Experience with planning of materials, production and capacity.
• Strong data analysis and reporting using Excel.
• Ability to drive cross-functional collaboration to improve planning.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated material and production plans to optimise service, cost, inventory and manufacturing efficiency.
• Monitor and control flow of sales and work orders through the MRP system (Dynamics AX 2012).
• Update order acknowledged dates to align with schedules.
• Manage Action Messages within MRP and coordinate responses.
• Establish materials planning processes to meet lead times with product sales.
• Set fixed planning horizons with suppliers and manufacturing operations.
• Coordinate supply, production and capacity planning to meet demand.
• Report on On-Time Delivery and monitor backlog to drive improvements.
• Apply inventory management to balance stock with production needs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to improve planning accuracy.

Skills

MRP planning

Excel analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Inventory management

Problem solving

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Job description

The Woods business was established in 1909 and continues to manufacture in Colchester, United Kingdom. We have around 250 people across all business functions from sales through design and product assembly & testing, as well as businesses in USA, UK, Germany & Singapore.

Woods is a brand of Fläkt Group which is an international leader in wider HVAC products, systems, services, and solutions. As part of the wider group, Woods products are sold into multiple global applications through various routes to market including Group Companies, Agents & Distributors, Key Accounts as well as direct B2B.

The Colchester site is also the Centre of Excellence for the group for all Axial, Air Movement and Fire Safety products and serves to enable product & system sales in Building Services, Industrial, Original Equipment, and Tunnel & Metro applications globally. Our brand and product range is internationally recognised and flexible, from short-lead-time standard products through to technically complex design-to-order products. Manufacturing activities on site in Colchester include Assembly, Product Test, Stamping, Machining, Fabrication, and metal forming.

At Woods Air Movement, our culture and values are at our core:

• Ambition: We set ambitious targets, going the extra mile to achieve them and strive for excellence in everything that we do.
• Entrepreneurship: We challenge the status quo and are proactive in finding ways to achieve our objectives. We take initiative, work sustainability, getting things done efficiently and effectively.
• Accountability: We say what we deliver, and we deliver what we say. We behave with integrity and have a strong moral compass.
• Teamwork: We work together as a team, are transparent, inclusive, and leverage the diverse resources we have in the Group.

Main Purpose of Role

To develop and maintain integrated material and production plans that optimise service, cost, inventory and manufacturing efficiency, ensuring customer demand is met through effective coordination of supply, production and capacity across the business.

Your Accountability

• Develop and maintain integrated material and production plans that optimise service levels, cost efficiency, inventory control and manufacturing performance.
• Control and monitor the flow of sales and work orders through the MRP system (Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012) to ensure accurate and timely processing.
• Manage and update order acknowledged dates to maintain alignment with customer and production schedules.
• Oversee Action Messages within the MRP system, coordinating responses and process adjustments to resolve issues promptly.
• Establish and implement materials planning processes and parameters to meet agreed product lead times in collaboration with product management and sales.
• Define internal planning processes to set appropriate fixed planning horizons for suppliers and manufacturing operations.
• Coordinate supply, production and capacity planning to ensure customer demand is consistently met.
• Report on Sales Order On-Time Delivery and monitor Late Backlog/Order Book to drive continuous improvement.
• Apply inventory management principles to balance stock levels with production requirements and purchasing activities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to enhance planning accuracy and operational efficiency.

Your Profile

Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in manufacturing environments, preferably within low volume, high mix, complex engineering sectors.
• Proven autonomy in managing production, materials, capacity and inventory with a sound understanding of purchasing processes.
• Experience working with MRP systems, specifically Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, to control order flow and planning activities.

Qualifications

• No specific qualifications required.

Skills & Competencies

• Applies advanced planning techniques to optimise production schedules and material availability, ensuring business objectives are met.
• Builds effective cross-functional relationships to facilitate seamless coordination between supply chain, production and sales teams.
• Demonstrates strong problem-solving capabilities to identify and resolve planning issues, minimising disruptions.
• Utilises KPI improvement and continuous improvement methodologies to enhance planning performance and operational outcomes.
• Employs strong Excel skills for data analysis, reporting and decision support to drive informed planning actions.

This job description is not regarded to be totally exhaustive of all duties and activities required by the

In Return We Offer The Following Package

• Competitive salary
• 25 days Holiday (+ bank holidays)
• Hybrid Working
• Christmas Shutdown
• 4% Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Company Sick Pay Scheme
• Enhanced Family Friendly Benefits
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Free Tea & Coffee
• Early finish on Fridays
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Woods Sports & Social Club (voluntary option to take part in events/activities for an additional small charge)
• Long Service Awards
• Free Car Parking
• Employee Assistance Programme & Access to Mental Health Support
• Learning and Development Opportunities

Equal Opportunities:We are an equal opportunities employer, recruiting individuals on their suitability for the role, qualifications and experience. We welcome applications from all communities and backgrounds.

Due to limits on sponsorship allocations, we are not currently able to offer sponsorship for this position. Therefore, applicants who do not have the right to work in the UK, and/or require visa sponsorship to continue working in the UK, cannot be considered for this role.

No recruitment agencies please