At a Glance
- Tasks: Create and manage production schedules to meet customer demand in a fast-paced environment.
- Company: Join Lightbody of Hamilton, the UK's largest celebration cake supplier with over 135 years of heritage.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, enhanced maternity leave, and opportunities for career growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on continuous improvement and effective communication.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team ensuring quality and efficiency in cake production.
- Qualifications: Experience in production scheduling or factory operations, and strong Excel skills.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 ÂŁ per year.
Location: Lightbody of Hamilton Ltd
Shift: Monday to Friday
Salary: Competitive with opportunity for growth
With over 135 years of craft baking heritage, Lightbody is proud to be the UK’s largest supplier of celebration cakes. From branded favourites like Disney, Mars, Universal and Thorntons to supermarket own‑label products, we produce over 55 million cakes and sweet treats every year right here in Hamilton. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic, fast‑paced manufacturing environment where quality, efficiency and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do.
The Scheduler plays a key role in ensuring customer demand is met by creating, maintaining, and communicating robust production plans that optimise capacity, efficiency, and operational best practice within a fast‑moving FMCG manufacturing environment.
This is what you'll actually do!
- As a Scheduler, you’ll be responsible for creating and managing daily and weekly production schedules, ensuring they align with customer demand, site capacity, and material availability.
- Your mission is to ensure production runs smoothly, efficiently, and delivers finished goods on time.
- You’ll work closely with Demand Planners, Production Teams, and Warehousing to ensure all schedules are realistic, achievable, and optimised for efficiency and service.
- You will play a key role in balancing customer demand, production capability, and operational cost.
- You’ll monitor live production performance and make real‑time schedule adjustments when issues occur such as machine breakdowns, material delays, staffing changes, or demand fluctuations.
- You’ll ensure all updates are accurately reflected in ERP/MRP systems so that all departments are working to the latest plan.
- You will act as a key communication link between departments, flagging risks such as late orders, capacity constraints, overtime requirements, or bottlenecks before they impact service levels.
- You will also support resolution of production planning issues by working cross‑functionally to ensure alignment and clarity.
- You’ll liaise directly with Demand Planners on delivery commitments, product launches, delists, stock levels, and customer requirements, ensuring scheduling decisions support both service and business priorities.
- You will actively monitor stock levels, including slow‑moving and short shelf‑life products, and work with planning teams to minimise waste and ensure optimal stock positioning.
- You’ll attend daily production meetings, provide clear updates on schedule performance, and support continuous improvement initiatives to enhance planning accuracy, efficiency, and overall scheduling performance.
Ideally this is you!
- Previous experience in production scheduling or factory operations within an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
- Experience of ERP/Scheduling tools.
- Experience in Excel to an intermediate level is essential.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective working relationships.
- Confident communicator at all levels.
- Proactive, results‑driven mindset with the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced setting.
- Basic reading, writing, numeracy, and computer literacy skills.
What's in it for you? Enhanced Maternity
Scheduler employer: Finsbury Food
Contact Detail:
Finsbury Food Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Scheduler
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with current employees at Lightbody. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by knowing your stuff! Research Lightbody’s products and their production processes. Show us you’re genuinely interested in how we operate and how you can contribute as a Scheduler.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your communication skills! As a Scheduler, you’ll need to liaise with various teams. Role-play common interview scenarios with a friend to boost your confidence and clarity.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team at Lightbody.
We think you need these skills to ace Scheduler
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Scheduler role. Highlight any relevant experience in production scheduling or FMCG environments, and don’t forget to mention your skills with ERP tools and Excel. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about the Scheduler position and how your previous experiences align with our needs. Keep it concise but engaging – we love a good story!
Show Off Your Communication Skills: As a Scheduler, you'll need to communicate effectively across departments. In your application, give examples of how you've successfully collaborated with others in the past. We’re looking for those strong interpersonal skills that will help us work better together!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s super easy, and you’ll be able to showcase your application in the best light. Plus, we love seeing applications come directly from our site!
How to prepare for a job interview at Finsbury Food
✨Know Your Scheduling Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your production scheduling knowledge. Familiarise yourself with ERP and scheduling tools, as well as Excel. Be ready to discuss how you've used these in past roles, especially in a fast-paced FMCG environment.
✨Show Off Your Communication Skills
As a Scheduler, you'll be the link between various departments. Prepare examples of how you've effectively communicated with teams in the past. Highlight your ability to flag issues and collaborate cross-functionally to resolve them.
✨Be Ready for Real-Time Problem Solving
Expect questions about how you'd handle unexpected challenges like machine breakdowns or material delays. Think of specific instances where you've had to adjust schedules on the fly and be prepared to share those experiences.
✨Demonstrate Your Proactive Mindset
Employers love candidates who take initiative. Share examples of how you've improved scheduling processes or enhanced efficiency in previous roles. Show that you're results-driven and can thrive under pressure.