Objectives and Purpose of the Job:
The Production Planner is responsible for developing, managing, and optimizing detailed production schedules to ensure efficient utilization of manufacturing resources, timely product availability, and alignment with demand requirements. The role focuses on coordinating cross-functional inputs across production, supply planning, procurement, and logistics to maintain schedule integrity and ensure that production plans are feasible, executable, and continuously aligned with operational realities.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain detailed production schedules based on demand requirements, available capacity, and material constraints.
- Align production schedules with supply plans, ensuring synchronization across manufacturing, procurement, and logistics activities.
- Oversee daily and weekly scheduling cycles, ensuring consistency between production plans, capacity utilization, and material availability.
- Monitor production execution and work-in-progress levels, coordinating with stakeholders to prevent delays, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies.
- Track performance against the production plan (schedule adherence, output, downtime) and coordinate corrective actions with operations teams.
- Identify production risks (capacity constraints, equipment downtime, material shortages) and align teams on mitigation and recovery plans.
- Liaise with Manufacturing, Procurement, and Maintenance to ensure schedules are realistic, achievable, and optimized for plant performance.
- Incorporate changes such as rush orders, priority shifts, new product introductions, and discontinuations into updated production schedules.
- Maintain scheduling parameters, master data, and system settings to ensure accuracy, stability, and reliability of production plans.
- Support S&OP and operational review processes by providing visibility on production constraints, gaps, and required trade-offs.
- Drive continuous improvement in schedule adherence, production efficiency, and responsiveness to changing operational conditions.
- Establish and monitor key factory KPIs (e.g., production schedule adherence, OEE, yield, downtime, throughout), providing regular performance insights and driving accountability for results.
- Supervise Production Analysts by reviewing production declarations, inventory transfers, planning outputs, stock variances, and material consumption.
Requirements
Academic/Technical/Management: Experience and Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree Business, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
- 3–5 years’ experience in demand planning, forecasting, or commercial analytics in FMCG or manufacturing.
- Familiarity with demand and supply planning tools (Infor, S2K, Cognos, Excel).
- Strong analytical and presentation skills.
- Ability to synthesize data and collaborate cross-functionally.
Abilities; Skills; Experience; Aptitude and Judgement:
- Proven experience developing and managing detailed production schedules, balancing capacity, materials, and demand priorities.
- Hands-on experience using ERP/MRP systems and working cross-functionally with Production, Procurement, and Logistics teams to drive schedule execution.
- Collaborative, with proven ability to align teams around a unified plan.
- Detail-oriented with a focus on accuracy and process discipline.
Other Personal or General Characteristics:
- Proactive, with a problem-solving mindset
- Engaging communicator who can facilitate discussions with commercial and operations teams
- High degree of ownership and accountability
- Comfortable with fast-paced environments and evolving data inputs
- Naturally curious and insight-driven
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Pension
- Performance Incentive
