UK Lead Production Planner: Drive Scheduling Excellence

JFD Global; Westhill; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Cycle to work scheme

Company pension

Job summary

James Fisher Defence (JFD) is seeking a Lead Production Planner to optimise production performance across our UK sites. You will lead the planning team, balance demand with capacity, and ensure on-time delivery while maintaining high service levels.

The role requires strong leadership, excellent analytical skills, and deep ERP/MRP knowledge to drive continuous improvement and robust scheduling processes. A proactive, collaborative approach is essential in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in production planning within a complex manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and translate insights into actionable plans.
• Expert knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and master data management.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and forecasting, capacity planning, and scenario modelling.

Responsibilities

• Lead the UK Production Planning team, driving planning excellence and alignment across sites.
• Act as the escalation point for planning challenges to minimise disruption and maintain continuity.
• Own planning KPIs and continually improve delivery performance and capacity planning.
• Develop and maintain robust production schedules using MRP outputs.
• Collaborate with Production, Procurement, Engineering and other stakeholders to ensure schedule adherence.

Skills

Production planning

ERP/MRP

Data analysis

Forecasting

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Excel

Tools

ERP systems

MRP software

Job description

James Fisher Defence (JFD) is seeking a Lead Production Planner to optimise production performance across our UK sites. You will lead the planning team, balance demand with capacity, and ensure on-time delivery while maintaining high service levels.

The role requires strong leadership, excellent analytical skills, and deep ERP/MRP knowledge to drive continuous improvement and robust scheduling processes. A proactive, collaborative approach is essential in a fast-paced environment.