Production Planner in Milton Keynes

Manufacturing & Packaging

Location: Milton Keynes (MK2) on-site role with some flexibility

Salary: £33,000 - £36,000

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-time

Sector: Manufacturing & Packaging

The Opportunity:

We are recruiting a Production Planner for a well-established, fast-moving manufacturer based in the southern part of Milton Keynes. This is a business that supplies critical packaging into global markets where on-time delivery isn't a target, it's a requirement. This role sits at the centre of the operation. You'll be the person who keeps all the threads in play converting customer orders into production plans, managing material availability across multiple lines, and making sure that when something shifts (and it will), the schedule adapts without missing a beat.

If you're the kind of planner who owns their schedule rather than just administers it, and you thrive when there are six things moving at once, this is the role for you.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Running daily production schedules across multiple manufacturing lines (dry assembly and wet machine production)
• Converting incoming customer and sales orders into executable production plans via MRP
• Monitoring material availability and coordinating with Procurement to stay ahead of shortages
• Managing capacity across labour, machinery, and production lines, flagging constraints before they become problems
• Tracking machine OEE and customer on-time delivery (OTD) performance, producing monthly KPI reporting
• Preparing capacity data for monthly SIOP review reporting out to the Planning Manager and wider leadership team
• Working closely with Customer Service, Sales, Purchasing, and Transport daily, communicating schedule changes clearly and quickly
• Maintaining accurate planning data within SAP (ERP/MRP)
• Joining the 8:30am daily operations meeting, the heartbeat of the day

What We're Looking For:

You'll have at least two years of production planning experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally somewhere fast-paced with multiple lines running simultaneously. FMCG, food, aerospace, packaging, or industrial assembly are all strong backgrounds for this role.

Essential:

• Minimum 2 years experience in a production planning or supply chain planning role within manufacturing
• Hands-on MRP/ERP experience; SAP preferred, but strong MRP competency in any system is the key requirement
• Proven ability to manage multiple production lines simultaneously without losing control of the schedule
• Calm, precise, and decisive under pressure; you adjust quickly when things change without letting the whole plan unravel
• Strong communicator across all levels; as comfortable on the shop floor as you are in a management meeting
• Proficient in Excel; confident producing and presenting KPI data

Desirable:

• Experience with S&OP or SIOP planning processes
• Familiarity with OEE tracking and continuous improvement methodologies
• Background in packaging, cold-chain, or supply into regulated industries

The Environment:

This is a busy, open operations office; things move quickly and the day rarely goes exactly to plan. You'll be working closely with a small, tight-knit team and interfacing with virtually every department in the building. The business values people who get things done, communicate well, and take ownership. The CEO walks the shop floor. Decisions get made. If you want to be the architect of how production runs day-to-day, this is that role.

How to Apply:

Apply now with your up-to-date CV. Suitable candidates will be contacted within 5 working days. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close this vacancy early. This role is being managed by a specialist recruitment consultancy on behalf of our client. The employer name will be disclosed at the first conversation stage.