Manufacturing Planning Manager in Maidstone

About the Opportunity We are looking for a Manufacturing Planning Manager to lead production planning activities within our UK operations.

In this highly visible leadership role, you will ensure that manufacturing plans are aligned with customer demand, operational capacity, workforce availability, and material supply.

You will work closely with teams across Production, Supply Chain, Transportation, Quality, HR, and Packaging to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage production plans that support customer demand while maximizing operational efficiency.
• Develop and maintain production schedules based on forecasts, inventory levels, and manufacturing capacity.
• Coordinate workforce planning requirements alongside Shift Managers.
• Monitor production performance and adjust plans to accommodate changing priorities, downtime, material shortages, or urgent customer demands.
• Partner with Packaging and Print Room teams to ensure materials are available and production interruptions are minimized.
• Lead daily production planning meetings and communicate priorities across operational teams.
• Analyse production data to identify improvement opportunities and reduce waste.
• Track and report key planning and manufacturing performance metrics.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and operational excellence projects.
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Support the implementation and optimization of planning systems and digital tools.
• Act as a key liaison between Operations and IT teams for system configuration, testing, training, and adoption.
• Candidate Profile
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in production planning, manufacturing operations, or supply chain planning.
• Experience within food, beverage, fresh produce, or agricultural manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of production planning systems, ERP platforms, and reporting tools.
• Experience with MRP, capacity planning, inventory management, and demand planning processes.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and Power BI.
• Experience supporting system implementation and digital transformation initiatives.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent English language skills.
• APICS CPIM, Lean Six Sigma, or similar certifications are considered an advantage.

Who You Are

• You are a collaborative and results‑oriented leader who is comfortable working in a fast‑moving environment.
• You enjoy solving complex problems, building strong relationships, and continuously improving processes and performance.
• Customer‑focused and proactive.
• Highly organised with strong planning capabilities.
• Adaptable and comfortable managing changing priorities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Passionate about continuous improvement.
• Hands‑on, practical, and solution‑oriented.
• Comfortable leading teams and driving positive change.

Why Join Driscoll’s?

At Driscoll’s, you’ll join a purpose‑driven organization with a strong people‑first culture and a commitment to innovation and excellence.

You’ll have the opportunity to lead a critical function within our manufacturing operation, work with talented colleagues across the business, and contribute to delivering premium‑quality berries to consumers across Europe and beyond.

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