Production Planner

Distinct Consultancy Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Medical

33 days holiday

Pension 5%

Yearly bonus

Early finish Fridays

Job summary

Distinct Consultancy Group is seeking a Production Planner in Manchester, United Kingdom, to translate S&OP plans into practical three-month operational schedules. You will balance demand, capacity and materials, aligning commercial priorities with production realities.

The role requires strong Excel/data-analysis skills, ERP/MRP experience and the ability to influence stakeholders across functions. Excellent collaboration with Operations, Supply Chain and Finance is essential, with an emphasis

Qualifications

• Proven experience in production planning and S&OP.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills.
• Experience with ERP/MRP and capacity planning.

Responsibilities

• Translate the S&OP plan into monthly and weekly operational requirements.
• Prepare the detailed plan for the following month and provide an initial weekly view.
• Secure agreement between Commercial and Operations on demand, capacity and supply.
• Chair the weekly S&OE review, confirming demand, capacity, output and actions.
• Escalate plan risks for weeks 3-12 and coordinate mitigation actions.
• Assess effects of changes in demand, capacity, labour and materials on the plan.
• Maintain an integrated plan across products, managing dependencies.
• Provide planning parameters to schedulers for weeks 1 and 2.
• Monitor performance against the plan and coordinate corrective actions.

Skills

Production planning

S&OP

MRP

MS Excel

Data analysis

Stakeholder mgmt

Tools

ERP system

Job description

Production Planner - £42,000-£45,000 + Annual Bonus + Private Medical + 33 Days Holiday + Early Finish Fridays + Market Leader + Benefits!

Our client are a market leading manufacturer who operate on a global basis. Due to continued expansion they have an excellent opportunity to join their business as a Production Planner.

The Role

The Senior Production Planner will translate the agreed S&OP plan into an achievable operational plan covering the next three months, balancing demand, capacity, materials and operational constraints.. This role plays a critical part in the S&OP process, ensuring alignment between demand, production capacity, inventory strategy, and commercial priorities

Main duties include:

• Convert the balanced S&OP plan into monthly and weekly operational requirements.
• Prepare the detailed plan for the following month and provide an initial weekly view.
• Secure agreement between Commercial and Operations on demand, capacity and supply.
• Chair the weekly S&OE review, confirming demand, capacity, output and agreed actions.
• Act as the first escalation point when the plan for weeks 3-12 is at risk.
• Assess the effect of changes in customer demand, capacity, labour, materials and production performance.
• Maintain an integrated plan across all products, managing dependencies and competing priorities.
• Provide clear planning parameters and priorities to the Schedulers responsible for weeks 1 and 2.
• Monitor performance against the agreed plan and coordinate corrective or recovery actions.
• Escalate unresolved or longer‑term constraints to the S&OP Manager and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure planning data, assumptions, constraints and actions are accurate, current and clearly documented.
• Work closely with Operations, Commercial, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance and the wider Planning team.
• Support improvements to S&OE processes, planning systems, capacity models and management information.

What We Are Looking For

• Experience in production planning, operations planning, supply chain or a comparable manufacturing role.
• Strong understanding of S&OE, S&OP, MRP and capacity-planning principles.
• Experience within the manufacturing sector (open on type of manufacturing)
• Experience using an ERP or manufacturing planning system.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and data-analysis skills.
• Ability to balance customer demand against operational capacity and supply constraints.
• Confident written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong problem‑solving, prioritisation and decision‑making capability.
• High attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Ability to influence stakeholders across different functions.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage changing priorities.
• Lean / Continuous Improvement exposure.

What is On Offer

The Production Planner will receive a competitive basic salary of £42,000-£45,000 plus the opportunity to join a hugely successful & growing business.

• Private Medical insurance
• 33 Days Holiday (including bank holidays)
• 5% pension contribution,
• Yearly Bonus
• Ability to purchase extra holidays
• Early Finish Fridays