Team Leader, Site Planning

Saputo, Inc.; Nuneaton; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

End of contract bonus

Enhanced employer pension

Private Health Care

Health Cash Plan

Professional development opportunities

Life Assurance

Free on-site parking

Discounted SDUK products

Subsidised staff restaurant

25 Holidays + 8 bank holidays

My Staff shop benefits

Job summary

Saputo Dairy UK is seeking a Team Lead for Planning at the Nuneaton site to manage Prepack cheese planning and lead a team of four planners. You will oversee production schedules, stock policies, and communication across functions while minimising stock costs and meeting customer requirements.

This fixed-term contract runs until February 2028 with immediate start desirable. The role requires strong leadership, experience in planning teams, and proficiency with planning systems and Excel.

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level in supply chain, logistics, purchasing or business.
• Knowledgeable of stock management and supply chain processes.
• Knowledgeable of practical statistics for process control and analysis purposes.
• Experienced in management, preferably leading production planning, materials management, or supply chain teams.
• Skilled with systems and IT including warehouse and planning systems, Excel and MS Office suite.

Responsibilities

• Leading the planning team in creating and managing production schedules, ensuring demand requirements are delivered on time and in full while optimising site efficiency, performance targets, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
• Driving the achievement of service level targets through effective material planning, inventory management, and leadership of the MRP planning team
• Managing the planning impact of new product development (NPD) projects and material changes, minimising write-offs, resolving obsolete stock s and new item set ups
• Building strong working relationships and maintaining effective communication with internal teams including Operations, Engineering, Finance, Commercial, Technical, Logistics, and Customer Service
• Supporting the delivery of site KPI scorecard targets through regular performance analysis, providing insights and recommendations that help drive continuous improvement
• Acting as the site's key escalation point within the T2/T3 process for all planning-related issues
• Influencing senior stakeholders and navigating complex business scenarios to achieve the best outcomes
• Collaborating cross-functionally to coordinate activities, align decision-making, and ensure business priorities are delivered through strong stakeholder engagement
• Developing, formalising, and continually improving Prepack S&OP process in business forums
• Preparing presentations for key reviews of the business cycle
• Creating ad hoc simulations for alternative Supply/Stock profile/Capacity scenarios to inform key business decisions

Skills

Leadership

Planning

MRP systems

Warehouse systems

Excel

Education

Degree in supply chain or related

Tools

Planning systems

MS Office

Job description

At Saputo, we bring good to the table by making high-quality products, investing in our people, and supporting communities around the world . As a top 10 global dairy processor, we value contributions that matter and strive to foster an inclusive, growth-driven work environment. Ready to bring your best?

ABOUT SAPUTO Saputo Dairy UK are the company behind iconic British brands such as Cathedral City, Clover, Country Life, Frylight, Davidstow and Wensleydale—household names loved by millions. Saputo Dairy UK is part of Saputo Inc., a top ten global dairy company, offering the best of both worlds: the agility and warmth of a dedicated UK business with the support and resources of a global group. We pride ourselves on our inclusive, collaborative culture, where people are valued, supported and empowered to make a difference. Our commitment to sustainability, innovation and quality makes us a leader in the UK food industry. At Nuneaton we process and package the SDUK cheese products in an environment considered our Centre of Excellence for food production and engineering principles. Nuneaton is our biggest site in the UK with more that 450 employees, 18 lines and ongoing growth and development.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY As the Team Lead for Planning at our Nuneaton site, you will manage and control the Prepack cheese category and related processes through robust planning and stock holding policies, while minimising the impact of stock cost across all sections. You will ensure clear and robust supply chain change communications both internally and externally and will lead a team of four planners on site. The complexity of the cheese business, due to the number of product lines and varying maturation times, means that attention to detail and a good working knowledge of specialised planning systems are essential to control the business, whilst consistently meeting customer requirements. This is an opportunity for a professional with strong leadership skills to make an impact, learning the details of our planning roles and taking a hands-on approach, while managing and driving the development of the team and reporting upwards to stakeholders in our Plant Leadership Team. This is a fixed term contract until February 2028, ideally requiring an immediate start.

YOU’LL MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT MATTER BY…

• Leading the planning team in creating and managing production schedules, ensuring demand requirements are delivered on time and in full while optimising site efficiency, performance targets, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
• Driving the achievement of service level targets through effective material planning, inventory management, and leadership of the MRP planning team, ensuring stock availability aligns with production plans and agreed MIN/MAX stock holding policies
• Managing the planning impact of new product development (NPD) projects and material changes, minimising write-offs, resolving obsolete stock s and new item set ups
• Building strong working relationships and maintaining effective communication with internal teams including Operations, Engineering, Finance, Commercial, Technical, Logistics, and Customer Service, as well as third party suppliers
• Supporting the delivery of site KPI scorecard targets through regular performance analysis, providing insights and recommendations that help drive continuous improvement
• Acting as the site's key escalation point within the T2/T3 process for all planning-related issues, ensuring challenges are resolved efficiently and effectively
• Influencing senior stakeholders and navigating complex business scenarios to achieve the best outcomes, balancing competing priorities while supporting the overall objectives of the Cheese Pre-Packing business
• Collaborating cross-functionally to coordinate activities, align decision-making, and ensure business priorities are delivered through strong stakeholder engagement and effective planning leadership
• Developing, formalising, and continually improving Prepack S&OP process in business forums
• Preparing presentations for key reviews of the business cycle
• Creating ad hoc simulations for alternative Supply/Stock profile/Capacity scenarios to inform key business decisions

YOU’RE BEST SUITED FOR THE ROLE IF YOU ARE…

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent) preferably in supply chain, logistics, purchasing or business
• Knowledgeable of sound stock management and supply chain processes with demonstrable ability
• Knowledgeable of practical statistics for process control and analysis purposes
• Experienced in management, preferably leading production planning, materials management, or supply chain teams
• Skilled with systems and IT including warehouse and planning systems, Excel and MS Office suite
• Able to reason logically and present findings in an orderly fashion
• Able to prioritise and understand the bigger picture within the site e.g., the total process flow
• Able to communicate with and influence peers on supply matters
• Able to interact with all levels of seniority building solid professional relationships
• Able to coach and develop all members of the team
• Able to challenge and support challenges at multiple levels across the business ensuring an effective supply chain setup

WE SUPPORT AND CARE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES BY PROVIDING YOU WITH…

• End of contract bonus
• Enhanced employer pension contributions
• Private Health Care
• Health Cash Plan - claim money back up to a set limit of c.£700 per annum on essential healthcare
• Opportunities for professional development
• Life Assurance
• Free, on-site parking
• Discounted SDUK branded products
• Subsidised staff restaurant
• 25 Holidays + 8 bank holidays
• My Staff shop - access to exclusive benefits, free advice and savings - providing great discounts from thousands of the UKs largest retailers & service providers

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AT SAPUTO

We support employment equity. Saputo strives to embed diversity and inclusion in its operations and invites candidates from all horizons to join our team. We are an accredited Disability Confident Employer where we strive to ensure our site is inclusive and accessible for all. To enable you to bring your best we will ensure you are provided with any physical or non-physical adjustments to support your participation in the job application and interview process.

In the UK, Saputo is a producer of leading British food brands and value-added ingredients. We manufacture a range of cheeses, dairy spreads, and dairy-free products, with a portfolio of well-loved brands including Cathedral City, Clover, Country Life, Frylight and Wensleydale. Whether your expertise lies in manufacturing, operations, supply chain, sales, quality assurance, or in any other function, your role is integral to our success. You will make contributions that matter, all while working alongside colleagues who genuinely care about your success and who will roll up their sleeves to help. Making Good Food Is Our Passion, and we do it responsibly. Our caring teams process about 10 billion litres of milk annually into a diversified range of dairy and dairy alternative products sold in over 50 countries. With 54 manufacturing facilities and over 18,100 employees, we operate our leading business in Canada, the USA, Australia, and the United Kingdom. All dairy processors have access to the same raw material and equipment; what distinguishes us is our can-do spirit and our diverse, inclusive work culture that empowers employees to grow in their own way.

Stay in touch! Follow the hashtag #OurBestIsMadeOfYours on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.