Production Planning Manager

Production Planning Manager / Senior Production Planning Supervisor

Precision Machining | High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing

We are looking for an experienced Production Planning Manager / Senior Production Planning Supervisor to lead our Production Planning team in a fast-paced high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) precision machining environment.

The successful candidate will lead a team of Production Planners (currently four) and take full ownership of the production planning process — from the release and scheduling of manufacturing orders through to ensuring production is completed according to customer deadlines.

This is a hands-on leadership role that requires someone who is decisive, highly organised, commercially aware and able to manage competing priorities in a demanding manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, supervise and develop a team of Production Planners.
• Take full ownership of the overall manufacturing plan, ensuring production orders are properly planned, scheduled and executed according to customer requirements.
• Plan and prioritise a high volume of high-mix, low-volume manufacturing orders with different quantities, processes, materials and delivery requirements.
• Review production capacity, machine loading, manpower availability, material readiness and process requirements when developing the manufacturing plan.
• Establish realistic production schedules and continuously monitor progress against planned completion dates.
• Make decisive planning decisions when there are conflicting priorities, urgent orders, capacity constraints or unexpected production issues.
• Work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Customer Service and Sales to resolve issues affecting production schedules and customer deliveries.
• Continuously adjust and optimise production plans in response to machine breakdowns, quality issues, material shortages, manpower constraints and changing customer priorities.
• Ensure planners follow a structured and disciplined planning process while maintaining sufficient flexibility to respond to changing requirements.
• Monitor manufacturing orders closely and take early action when there is a risk of missing the committed delivery date.
• Establish clear priorities for Production and ensure the planning team communicates these priorities effectively.
• Analyse production loading, capacity utilisation, order backlog and delivery performance to support management decisions.
• Drive improvements in production planning processes, scheduling accuracy, workflow visibility and on-time delivery performance.
• Ensure accurate and timely updates of production schedules and manufacturing order status within the company's ERP system.
• Provide management with clear visibility of production capacity, bottlenecks, risks and delivery commitments.
• Take ownership of planning-related problems and drive them to resolution rather than simply escalating them.

Requirements:

• Significant experience in production planning within precision machining, CNC manufacturing or a similar HMLV manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing or leading a team of production planners is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of production scheduling, capacity planning, machine loading and manufacturing lead times.
• Able to manage a high volume of manufacturing orders and changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make quick and practical decisions.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for production commitments and delivery performance.
• Able to work effectively across Production, Engineering, Quality, Purchasing and other departments.
• Good communication, coordination and leadership skills.
• Proficient in ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Candidates with experience in precision CNC machining and HMLV manufacturing will have a strong advantage.

The Person We Are Looking For:

We are looking for someone who can take charge of the planning function, not merely follow a planning schedule.

You should be comfortable working in an environment where priorities can change quickly, production capacity is constantly challenged and multiple customer orders must be managed simultaneously.

The right person will be decisive, disciplined, proactive and hands-on, with the ability to lead the planning team while personally taking responsibility for the overall manufacturing plan and delivery performance.

If you thrive in a high-pressure manufacturing environment and have the experience and leadership ability to make things happen, we would like to apply.