UK Production Planning Lead – Drive Delivery Excellence

James Fisher and Sons plc; Elrick; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early finish on Fridays

Private Medical Insurance

Company Pension

Life Assurance

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

James Fisher and Sons plc is seeking a Lead Production Planner in the Westhill area to drive planning excellence across UK sites. You will develop robust schedules using MRP outputs and coordinate with Production, Procurement, and Engineering to ensure on-time delivery.

The role requires extensive production planning experience in manufacturing, strong data analysis, and leadership to build high-performing teams while championing continuous improvement across the business.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in production planning in a complex manufacturing setup
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and derive actions
• Expert knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and master data management
• Advanced Excel or similar analytical tools for forecasting and capacity planning
• Proven leadership for building/high-performing teams and continuous improvement
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management at all levels
• Understanding of manufacturing operations, capacity planning and supply chain processes
• Ability to balance strategic planning with day-to-day priorities
• Proactive problem-solving to resolve complex challenges
• Passion for continuous improvement and delivery reliability
• Strong organizational skills with multi-priority management

Responsibilities

• Lead the UK Production Planning team, optimise scheduling performance and align across sites
• Escalate and resolve planning challenges to minimise disruption
• Own planning KPIs and drive improvements in delivery and operational maturity
• Develop and maintain robust production schedules using MRP outputs
• Collaborate with Production, Procurement, Engineering and other stakeholders to ensure schedule adherence
• Monitor production performance, identify bottlenecks and implement corrective actions
• Analyse planning and operational data to improve forecast accuracy and capacity
• Create, release and manage complex works orders with high accuracy and traceability
• Maintain MRP master data to keep planning systems reliable and fit for purpose
• Produce capacity analysis and KPI reporting for strategic decisions
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to standardise processes
• Build relationships with internal and external customers and provide updates
• Coach and develop planners and colleagues for capability and consistency

Skills

Production planning

Data analysis

ERP/MRP systems

Excel

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Tools

ERP/MRP software

Job description

James Fisher and Sons plc is seeking a Lead Production Planner in the Westhill area to drive planning excellence across UK sites. You will develop robust schedules using MRP outputs and coordinate with Production, Procurement, and Engineering to ensure on-time delivery.

The role requires extensive production planning experience in manufacturing, strong data analysis, and leadership to build high-performing teams while championing continuous improvement across the business.