Senior Production Planner in Wokingham

We are currently recruiting for a Senior Production Planner to be responsible for all planning activities, from ensuring the timely arrival of materials, liaising with supply chain, to load and maintain flow of production jobs to align with delivery dates, liaising with production engineering to overcome any engineering/build issues, ensure all the documentation is available for the job to start, provide updates to the business on status of jobs, delivery expectations and any issues preventing on time delivery. Support and maintain a high level of quality.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own end-to-end production planning using MRP outputs to create and maintain build schedules across multiple jobs, aligned to material availability and capacity.
• Release jobs and associated documentation for kitting in line with the agreed production schedule.
• Monitor plant loading and capacity utilisation, adjusting plans to optimise labour and resource allocation.
• Work with Supply Chain to ensure material availability, resolve shortages and meet cost and delivery targets.
• Expedite materials and production orders to mitigate delays and protect delivery commitments.
• Own MRP data integrity across BOMs, routing times, lead times and operational steps.
• Analyse MRP recommendations to identify shortages and prevent production bottlenecks.
• Drive continuous improvement using MES and operational data to reduce waste and improve flow.
• Oversee job costing performance, tracking actuals versus standard costs to protect margins.
• Own delivery performance against on-time delivery targets, managing risks and recovery actions.
• Monitor and report production KPIs including OTD, capacity utilisation and schedule adherence.

Skills & Experience

Essential:

• 5+ years’ experience in production planning or control within a complex manufacturing environment (discrete, process or engineered-to-order).
• Strong hands-on experience using ERP/MRP systems, ideally Epicor Kinetic including Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS).
• Proven ability to develop and manage production schedules aligned to material availability, capacity and delivery demand.
• Experience working within electronics manufacturing environments.
• Ability to analyse production, capacity and material data to identify constraints and drive planning decisions.
• Strong understanding of capacity planning, resource loading and bottleneck management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage priorities and make planning decisions under changing conditions.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Production, Supply Chain and Engineering to resolve issues and maintain flow.
• Strong focus on data accuracy and system discipline within ERP/MRP environments (BOMs, lead times, routings).
• Proven ability to support delivery performance through effective planning, expediting and recovery actions.
• Commercial awareness of cost, schedule and impact of planning decisions on delivery performance.

Desirable:

• Ideally qualified to an ONC/HNC level or equivalent in Engineering, Manufacturing or Production.
• A background in an engineered to order/build to order production environment is desirable.
• Ability to read engineering drawings is highly advantageous but not essential.

Personal Attributes:

• Excellent planning, organisation and time management skills.
• Demonstrates our company values of Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence and Courage.
• The ability to work independently when required.
• A flexible, conscientious, and diligent attitude.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and written skills.
• A resilient and adaptable approach.

Work life balance:

• 37.5 hour working week.
• Lunchtime finishes on a Friday.
• Hybrid / flexible working arrangements.
• 28 days annual leave.
• Christmas closure.
• Holiday purchasing scheme.

Benefits:

• Group pension plan – matched contributions up to 5%.
• Income protection scheme and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Employee Assistance Programme gives you and your family access to 4 key services including remote GP service, second opinion, mental health pathway service and physiotherapy consultations.
• Life assurance policy, including bereavement counselling and probate helpline.
• Company shares incentive plan and save as you earn scheme.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.
• Wellbeing initiatives, including access to wellbeing app and the addition of mental health support for all employees. Plus, regular activities across our sites to support and promote wellbeing.
• Regular sports and social activities.
• Gym membership discounts.
• Reward platform (high street discounts, employee benefits, health, and wellbeing offerings).
• Recruitment referral bonus scheme.
• Excellent learning & development opportunities.
• Great working environment with free, onsite car parking across all our locations.

Security Clearance Requirements:

Due to the nature of our business, our staff need to be able to obtain UK Security Clearance as a mandated requirement. Therefore, if successful, you will need to provide proof of identity, employment history and right to work in the UK, along with proof of UK residency for at least five years.