Senior Production Planner

KAO; Bishop's Stortford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consumer goods company in Bishop's Stortford is seeking a Supply Planner to manage the production planning process. The ideal candidate will take ownership of supply planning, coordinate raw materials, and lead optimization initiatives. Requirements include a Bachelor's degree, 5–7 years of experience in manufacturing, and strong SAP proficiency. This role ensures effective collaboration with senior management and supports new product launches while maintaining stock levels.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of experience in manufacturing, ideally within cosmetics, toiletries, or FMCG.
• Proven ability to manage end-to-end demand and supply planning.
• Strong decision-making skills with accountability.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of supply planning for seamless production.
• Coordinate raw materials and support new product launches.
• Lead process optimisation initiatives from concept to implementation.

Skills

Supply chain management

SAP proficiency

Decision-making

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

MRP systems

Job description

In this role, you will take ownership of the short‑to‑mid‑term in‑house supply planning horizon (0–6 months) to ensure seamless production and product availability. You’ll coordinate raw materials and components for in‑house manufacturing, working closely with Production and Project Management teams to support new product launches and product changes.

You’ll manage the phase‑in and phase‑out of finished goods, proactively communicate out‑of‑stock risks, and lead process optimisation initiatives from concept to implementation.

Key requirements:

• Coordinate end‑to‑end in‑house production and make complex decisions, to improve ROI.
• Work in collaboration with senior management (VP, Directors, Sr. managers) on nearly daily basis to align business expectations with significant sales revenue impact.
• Manage FGs healthy stock position to make sure we do not go out of stock and do not overproduce.
• Support all new product launches and range review.
• Build and own the Master Production Schedule (MPS) aligned to demand, capacity, and inventory targets.
• Manage rough cut capacity planning (RCCP).
• Run MRP, convert planned orders, release weekly production plans and prioritise work orders, and manage expedite/de‑expedite decisions.
• Balance constraints (materials, equipment, labour, changeovers) to produce an executable plan.
• Lead/participate in daily and weekly S&O (sales and operations execution) meetings with Production, Quality, Warehouse, Procurement, and Customer Service.
• Provide clear priorities to manufacturing and resolve material/capacity conflicts quickly.
• Manage FG transitions, last‑time‑buys, and inventory run‑down plans to minimise write‑off.
• Coordinate SKU rationalisation and update master data accordingly.
• Drive root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for repeat shortages or plan misses.

What you’ll need:

• A degree or equivalent professional experience – a Bachelor’s or higher preferred.
• 5–7 years’ experience in manufacturing, ideally within cosmetics, toiletries or FMCG.
• Strong SAP proficiency within supply chain and production planning.
• Proven ability to manage end‑to‑end demand and supply planning with both internal teams and external partners.
• Confident decision‑maker with accountability for cost‑impacting choices.
• Demonstrated success delivering short‑, mid‑ and long‑term objectives in fast‑paced, evolving environments.
• A collaborative mindset with a passion for driving cross‑functional results.
• Solid understanding of MRP and manufacturing processes.

Molton Brown is part of Kao founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people's lives with our high‑quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all – a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation and treating each other with trust and respect.

How we work: Having been selected among the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 19 consecutive years, we are a company with a purpose and strong corporate values. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. At Kao, each employee can actively shape their job and their career. We work collaboratively to achieve our common goals, always aiming to deliver the best for our customers.

Hiring Process: Kao embraces the diversity and the individual personalities of its people because we believe it is diversity that makes us strong. This is why we welcome applications from all areas of the global community.

Want to learn more: If you feel you are as unique as our products and want to find out why 33,000 people across the globe opted for a career with us please visit https://www.kao.com/emea/en/

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