Senior Operations Planning Specialist

UNAVAILABLE; Cork; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Hovione is seeking a planning professional to join its Operations Planning team. You will balance customer demand, capacity, and business priorities while driving continuous improvement in planning processes and data integrity.

The role requires strong expertise in production planning and scheduling, SAP PP, SchedulePro, and MS Project, with a GMP background and excellent communication skills. Fluency in English is essential.

Qualifications

• A degree in Business, Engineering, Life Sciences, Supply Chain, or related discipline.
• Approximately 5–8 years in Operations/Production/Supply Chain planning in GMP settings.
• Experience in planning within a CDMO/manufacturing context preferred.
• Strong understanding of planning and scheduling methodologies and data integrity.

Responsibilities

• Champion data excellence, ensuring planning data is accurate and reliable.
• Facilitate S&OP and execution processes to align demand and supply.
• Develop production plans across short-, mid-, and long-term horizons.
• Create and optimize detailed production schedules and shift plans.
• Assess resources and risks to ensure plan execution.
• Lead planning review meetings and drive timely decisions.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Quality to improve practices.
• Drive plan optimization to maximize resource utilization.
• Standardize planning parameters and scheduling practices.
• Monitor KPIs like plan adherence and batch performance.
• Generate reports to support operations and strategy.
• Identify opportunities for data management improvements.
• Coach teams on planning and scheduling activities.
• Lead complex analyses with measurable impact.
• Make data-driven decisions under uncertainty and competing priorities.
• Support investigations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure GMP, HSE, and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Data accuracy

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Tools

SAP Production Planning

SchedulePro

Microsoft Project

Excel

Job description

Join a Market Leader

About Hovione

At Hovione, we help partners turn scientific innovation into medicines that reach patients around the world. For more than 65 years, we have connected science, technology, and manufacturing to scale complex ideas into high-quality and innovative solutions that truly make a difference.

As an international Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), we support the development and manufacture of drug substances, intermediates, and drug products across the full life cycle. We are globally recognized for our leadership in specialized technologies such as Spray Drying and Continuous Tableting. But what truly sets us apart is not just what we do — it is how we do it: with purpose, care, collaboration, and a deep commitment to doing the right things right.

Our people are the reason for our success. We are a global and diverse team of more than 2,600 team members across Europe, the USA, and Asia, bringing together different experiences and perspectives to help our partners to overcome complex challenges. We believe that an inclusive environment — where everyone, regardless of background, identity or ability, is respected, heard and empowered to contribute — is essential to drive innovation, ensure quality, and secure long‑term sustainable success.

And as we grow, so do the opportunities for our people to develop, broaden their perspectives, and build meaningful careers. Because at Hovione, better starts with those who choose to make a difference every day. Will you be one of them?

You will be responsible to:

As a key member of the Operations Planning team, you will play a critical role in ensuring the efficient planning and execution of manufacturing activities across the site. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to balance customer demand, operational capacity, and business priorities while driving continuous improvement in planning processes and data integrity.

In this role, you will:

• Act as a champion for data excellence, ensuring planning and operational data is accurate, reliable, and maintained as a single source of truth.
• Facilitate Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and execution processes, enabling informed decision-making and effective alignment between demand and supply.
• Develop robust supply plans across short-, medium-, and long‑term horizons, considering capacity, resource availability, customer needs, and operational efficiency.
• Create and optimize detailed production schedules and shift plans to support uninterrupted manufacturing operations.
• Evaluate resource availability, including people, materials, equipment, and processes, to ensure successful plan execution.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate planning and scheduling risks before they impact performance.
• Lead and facilitate planning review meetings, ensuring alignment across stakeholders and driving timely decision-making.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operational Excellence, and other key functions to improve planning methodologies and operational performance.
• Drive production plan optimization initiatives to maximize resource utilization and manufacturing efficiency.
• Support the standardization of planning parameters, recipe sequencing, load factors, and scheduling practices.
• Monitor, analyse, and improve key planning KPIs, including plan adherence, campaign execution, batch performance, and master data accuracy.
• Generate meaningful reports and insights that support operational performance and strategic decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to enhance planning, scheduling, and data management processes through innovative solutions and best practices.
• Coach and support colleagues by delivering training and knowledge-sharing initiatives across planning and scheduling activities.
• Lead complex analyses and improvement projects with significant operational and business impact.
• Make data-driven decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while effectively managing uncertainty and competing priorities.
• Support investigations, root cause analyses, and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen operational performance.
• Ensure full compliance with GMP, HSE, regulatory requirements, and company policies while promoting a strong safety culture.

We are looking to recruit a Candidate:

We're looking for a planning professional who thrives in a dynamic manufacturing environment and enjoys working collaboratively to solve complex operational challenges.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A degree in Business, Engineering, Life Sciences, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Approximately 5-8 years of experience in Operations Planning, Production Planning, Supply Chain Planning, or a similar role within a GMP-regulated manufacturing environment.
• Previous experience within Hovione, ideally with exposure to Production, Process Development, or Supply Chain operations.
• Strong expertise in manufacturing planning and scheduling, with the ability to analyse complex situations and develop practical solutions.
• A solid understanding of Hovione's manufacturing processes and operational methodologies.
• Experience using SAP Production Planning modules and related planning systems.
• Knowledge of planning and scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project, SchedulePro, or equivalent applications.
• Understanding of cGMP requirements and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, including APIs, Intermediate Drug Products, and Drug Products.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Fluency in English.

Hovione is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer

Inclusion and diversity are key to us. We are committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. If you require any reasonable accommodation or support during the application or interview process, please contact us, and we will be happy to assist.