Planning & Procurement Specialist

Purpose of the role

To manage the production plan and supply plan so that customer demand is met on time and in full, while making the best use of available capacity. The role is accountable for capacity planning, for planning raw and packaging material requirements, and for placing and following up orders with suppliers, so that the right materials are available at the right time and inventory is kept at the right level.

Context and scope:

As Planning & Procurement Specialist, you are responsible for the production plan and the supply plan, ensuring that production runs, capacity and stock levels are balanced to meet both Company and Customer expectations. The scope covers capacity planning across production, and planning the raw and packaging materials needed to deliver the plan. It also covers placing and following up orders with suppliers so that materials arrive on time and in the right quantities, and so that inventory is kept at the right level.

Key Relationships

The Planning & Procurement Specialist has daily contact with supervisors and managers from every department on site including production, warehouse, quality and maintenance. The role includes regular contact with the shop floor, either directly or through the morning Team Meetings, to align the production plan and capacity. The role has key relationships with Customer Service, manufacturing supply chain, Purchasing and senior management, and with external suppliers of raw and packaging materials, to ensure that materials are ordered and delivered on time and that customer orders are planned for and met on time and in full.

Responsibilities

• Comply with good hygiene and health & safety practices within the department, in accordance with standard operating procedures and current Food Safety and Health & Safety requirements.
• Prepare the capacity plan from budget and rolling forecast, identifying constraints and bottlenecks in advance.
• Develop the production plan from the forecast, and the supply plan to customers, driven by bottlenecks.
• Develop the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and the detailed schedule, prioritising job orders to optimise production and meet daily production requirements in line with customer expectations.
• Plan Customer Service orders into the SAP APO production planning table and maintain the table daily to ensure its accuracy.
• Execute the plan and manage capacity allocations, assigning capacity per product to specific customers.
• Confirm sales orders and provide Customer Service with the reason codes for any delays to customers.
• Create and maintain planning master data in SAP, including work centres, routings, planning parameters and production versions.
• Manage inventory levels and optimise inventory, plan raw and packaging material requirements, and place and follow up supplier orders to ensure materials are available when required.
• Analyse data to support decision-making on raw material supply and finished goods demand.
• Adjust lead times to reflect orders in the system and losses from cycle time, cavitation and similar factors, and analyse and publish the data at regular intervals.
• Maintain moulded WIP stock at the level required by the assembly machines, and review all production orders completed in the previous 24 hours to ensure WIP picking is correct.
• Follow up with all teams to expedite the flow of materials and documents, so that the production schedule and customer expectations are met.
• Prepare status reports on production progress, work in process and raw material inventory, and maintain the production schedule and other reports as required.
• Engage daily with shop floor management to resolve manufacturing efficiency issues and to respond to information requests from Manufacturing, Customer Service and Accounting.
• Liaise with the toolroom to ensure tools are available and organise colour and material trials.
• Raise internal production, trial and assembly orders, and print the box, pallet and Code Soft labels associated with each production order.
• Lead production planning meetings.
• Provide cover for the purchasing function during holidays and sickness.
• Undertake other duties at a lower or higher level of proficiency, as required.

These responsibilities are not exclusive and may be modified or changed at any time depending on the business needs.

Education and Qualifications

Qualifications, certifications, licenses, diplomas, specific to, or necessary for, the job (be clear to specify if they are 1 desirable, 2 essential). Specify, explain in your own words. 

 Skill required

• Working knowledge of SAP production planning (MPS/MRP, work centers, routings, production versions) and SAP APO planning tools.
• Advanced Excel and Microsoft Office; Power BI is desirable.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to support planning and inventory decisions.
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to work at both tactical and strategic levels.
• Proactive, takes initiative and decisive.
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.

Skill preferred:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including clear communication of delivery commitments and delays to Customer Service.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with attention to detail and the ability to multi-task and prioritize.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with cross-functional teams and suppliers.
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural environment.
• Background in IBP is preferred.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Logistics, Industrial or Operations Engineering, or a related field

Relevant experience

• 3-5 years of experience in production planning within a manufacturing unit.
• Hands-on experience with SAP production planning, including MPS/MRP, work centres, routings, planning parameters and production versions.
• Experience in capacity planning and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), including bottleneck management.
• Experience in raw and packaging material planning, placing and following up supplier orders, and optimising inventory levels.
• Experience working with Customer Service on sales order confirmation, capacity allocations and delivery commitments.