Production Value Stream Planner

Thorlabs Ltd; Ely; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care

Pension

25 days holiday

Group Life Cover

Private Health Care

Group Income Protection

Job summary

Thorlabs Ltd in Ely, UK, is seeking a Production Planner to develop and maintain feasible production schedules across Assembly and In-house Machine Shop, balancing customer demand with capacity.

You will work with Production, Engineering and Machine Shop teams to optimise MRP parameters, support new product introductions, obsolescence management, and smooth transitions to in-house manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Previous Planning, Inventory Controller, or related Supply Chain experience.
• Experience in manufacturing environment.
• Lean/continuous improvement knowledge.
• Scheduling and capacity planning expertise.
• Kanban and material flow monitoring.
• Advanced Excel skills with large datasets.
• Strong communication skills.
• Team collaboration across multiple departments.
• UK work authorization as per immigration rules.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain production plan aligning MRP demand with capacity.
• Participate in production review meetings and allocate work.
• Monitor capacity utilization and escalate risks.
• Maintain planning ERP/MRP parameters data accuracy.
• Respond to lead time and delivery updates from global sales.
• Analyse KPIs like late orders and stock shortages.
• Contribute to new planning methods and improvements.
• Apply PDCA/Lean problem-solving to supply chain issues.
• Follow standardised procedures and contribute to improvements.

Skills

Planning

Inventory control

Lean/Continuous improvement

Data analysis

Excel advanced

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Kanban

Root cause analysis

Bottleneck management

Tools

D365

MRP systems

ERP data reporting

Job description

You will play a key role in ensuring the continuous, on-time supply of products to customers and warehouses by developing and maintaining effective production schedules across Assembly and the In-house Machine Shop. Working closely with Production, Engineering, and Machine Shop teams, you will balance customer demand with manufacturing capacity, manage MRP planning parameters, and support product lifecycle activities such as new product introductions, obsolescence management, and the transfer of products into in-house manufacturing. You will help maintain customer delivery performance, optimise inventory levels, and ensure the smooth transition of new products into full-scale production.

• Develop and maintain an achievable business unit production plan that aligns MRP demand, inventory availability, and manufacturing and production capacity to meet committed customer delivery dates.
• Participate in regular production review meetings and oversee the allocation of work when Team Leaders are unavailable.
• Monitor production capacity utilisation throughout the day, identifying risks and constraints, escalating production flow interruptions, and initiating appropriate supply chain corrective actions.
• Maintain and manage planning-related ERP/MRP parameters to ensure data accuracy and effective production scheduling.
• Respond promptly to lead time and delivery update requests from global sales teams
• Analyse production KPIs, including late orders, open works orders, and stock shortages, to identify trends and implement continuous improvement opportunities.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new planning methods, processes, and strategies that improve operational efficiency and productivity.
• Apply structured problem-solving techniques, including root cause analysis and PDCA/Lean methodologies, to resolve planning and supply chain issues.
• Follow departmental procedures and standardised work practices while actively contributing to their ongoing review and improvement.

Periodic/Projects (Obsolescence, NPI, Process or Component Changes)

• Manage planning activities for New Product Introductions (NPI), product obsolescence, and the transition to in-house manufacturing by ensuring all production planning MRP parameters (e.g., production pools, routes, serialisation, and related settings) are correctly configured to support a seamless production launch.
• Liaise with the Documentation & Data team to ensure new products are accurately configured across all warehouse entities prior to NPI release.
• Coordinate warehouse stock run-down activities for obsolete products by balancing customer demand with warehouse replenishment, adjusting inventory parameters, and managing component consumption to minimise excess stock.
• Participate in obsolescence review meetings, providing projected warehouse depletion timelines to support uninterrupted product availability, and communicate inventory run-down progress to Production, Engineering, and Machine Shop teams.
• Contribute to cross-functional projects that impact production planning, including new product introductions, transition to in-house manufacturing, product obsolescence, and changes to processes, components, or manufacturing routes.
• Continuously develop expertise in production planning MRP parameters by participating in D365 planning forums, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and supporting the implementation of improved planning processes.

What is essential to us...

• Previous Planning, Inventory Controller, or other Supply Chain related experience required
• Experience within a manufacturing environment preferred
• Project management experience preferred
• Demonstrated application of lean/continuous improvement tools/methodologies
• Scheduling techniques including bottleneck management and capacity scheduling (production and machine shop)
• Kanban calculations and monitoring of material flow
• Strong analytical skills and ability to draw actionable insights from data
• Ability to use lean tools to identify root cause and work with relevant teams on corrective actions
• Detail oriented and able to work in a structured and organised manner
• Advanced user of Microsoft Excel, with the ability to manipulate large datasets, analyze production and inventory data, and develop efficient planning tools and reports.
• Effective communicator with excellent written and verbal skills
• A positive approach to continuous improvement activities
• Able to work collaboratively with Stores, Production, Machine Shop, Engineering, Inspection, and Packing teams to ensure uninterrupted flow of goods to meet requested delivery dates
• A flexible approach to work requests - prepared to go the extra mile to get the job done, In line with the requirements of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, all applicants must have a valid permission to enter or remain in the UK with no condition that prevents them from working in the UK. Documented evidence of such permission will be required from candidates as part of the recruitment process.
• Thorlabs is a global, industry leading optical technologies company. We are experts in the design and manufacture or a range of innovative photonics products. We use these products in manufacturing and research, from fibre optics to piezo motors. We are the gold standard with optics laboratories worldwide. There are now 22 facilities across the world in 9 countries. Here in Ely, we are responsible for the Motion Control and Optical Tables product line.
  Competitive Salary to attract the best, plus an excellent benefits package including pension, health care, 25 days holiday plus public holidays., Contributed Pension Scheme -Group Life Cover -Private Health Care -Group Income Protection & more.