Senior Planner

Greencore Group plc; Newark on Trent; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company share save scheme

Life insurance up to 4x salary

Pension scheme

Greencore Qualifications

Employee discount platform

Wellbeing Centre platform

Enhanced parental leave and menopause

Site-based benefits

Job summary

Greencore Newark Desserts site is seeking a Senior Planner to manage daily planning activities, demand forecasting, finite scheduling, and capacity planning, while maintaining planning systems. You will coordinate with the planning team and cross-functional colleagues to optimise production and service levels.

You will lead and develop the planning function, drive continuous improvement, monitor waste and efficiency, and liaise with customers to ensure accurate, timely information and achieving

Qualifications

• Excellent communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills to manage tasks, resources and timelines.
• Proven problem solving capabilities to overcome challenges.
• Strong analytical and numerical abilities to interpret data.
• Advanced IT systems proficiency, especially MS Excel.
• Experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Flexible approach to work including weekend hours.
• Background in planning/production/continuous improvement is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support day-to-day planning activities to meet customer service targets at minimum cost.
• Deliver short-term demand, production and capacity forecasts with accuracy.
• Communicate timely information to the business and customers; engage external and internal stakeholders.
• Set finished goods and base inventory levels; optimise replenishment and stock holding.
• Monitor waste, drive continuous improvement and report on financial impacts.
• Engage with customers to align short-term numbers and minimise risk to service.
• Maintain planning systems and participate in system initiatives.
• Develop a cohesive planning team and conduct appraisals for team members.

Skills

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Problem solving

Analytical abilities

MS Excel

IT systems proficiency

Experience in manufacturing

Flexibility

Tools

Excel

Job description

Benefits: Company share save scheme, matched pension scheme, Life insurance up to 4x salary

Location: Greencore Desserts Newark, Jessop Way, NG24 2ER

Ways of Working: Site Based

Hours of work: 4on 4off Days – 05:30am-17:30pm

Contract Type: Permanent

Why Greencore?

Following the combination with Bakkavor in January 2026, we’re one of the UK’s leading creators of convenience food, driven by a simple purpose: to make every day taste better.

As a vibrant and fast-moving business, we’re proud to employ over 28,000 talented colleagues across 36 manufacturing sites and 21 distribution depots in the UK and the US. Together, we bring delicious food to life. Our products cover every meal occasion from breakfast through to dinner and dessert, with lunch and snacking in between. In FY25, our shared passion helped us achieve combined revenues of approximately £4bn.

Our extensive direct to store (DTS) network, with 17 depots across the UK, allows us to deliver fresh and frozen food both our own and from trusted partners to thousands of stores every day, ensuring consumers enjoy the very best, whenever and wherever they shop.

Our site in Newark, Nottinghamshire, specialises in producing a range of chilled desserts, including trifles, cream cakes, and choux pastries. The site employs over 1,800 people and operates in a fast-paced, high-volume production environment.

As Senior Planner, you will support the day to day management of the planning team for Greencore . This should include demand management, finite scheduling & capacity management, labour & materials forecasting and maintenance of planning systems.

What you’ll be doing

• Ensure that 100% customer service is maintained at minimum cost. Ensure customer service levels are maintained internally to the warehouse and externally to customer.
• Support the planning team with delivering a short-term accurate forecast of demand, production, capacities and labour - highlighting any concerns with capacity or efficiencies.
• Communicate accurate and timely information to the business and customers. Cultivate relationships with all key external and internal stakeholders to the supply chain function.
• Determine finished goods and base inventory levels and replenishment rules minimising product and material disposals. Conduct seasonal / promotional reviews of production schemes and stock holding to optimise production activity and daily/weekly volumes.
• Control waste levels by challenging operational performance to drive continuous improvement initiatives. Analyse and report on financial impact of factory efficiencies and variances.
• Confident to approach customers to align short term numbers to minimise waste or risk to service.
• Ensure planning systems are maintained to the highest standards and represent the business on new planning system initiatives.
• Develop and retain a cohesive and effective Planning team to deliver rota’s planning cover over all manufacturing operations. Complete appraisals and PDD’s for each member.

What we’re looking for

• Good communication skills, ability to communicate effectively with team members, operations, and external customers when necessary.
• Good organisational skills, capacity to organize tasks, resources, and timelines.
• Problem solving skills, the capability to identify issues and develop effective solutions to overcome challenges.
• Good analytical and numerical capabilities.
• Well-developed communication and management skills with confidence to influence at all business levels
• High degree of confidence with IT Systems alongside strong software proficiency – specifically with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel.
• Flexible approach to work and hours including weekend working.
• Experience of working within a fast-paced organisation and has demonstrated the ability to make accurate decisions quickly.
• Experience of working within a manufacturing environment, not necessarily in Food.
• Previous experience in a planning / production / continuous improvement role.

What you’ll get in return

• Competitive salary and job-related benefits
• Holidays
• Life insurance up to 4x salary
• Company share save scheme
• Greencore Qualifications
• Exclusive Greencore employee discount platform
• Access to a full Wellbeing Centre platform
• Enhanced parental leave and menopause policies

Throughout your time at Greencore, you will be supported with on-the-job training and development opportunities to further your career.

Greencore and its recruitment partners never charge candidates any fees at any stage of the hiring process. Any request for payment relating to a job opportunity should be considered fraudulent.