Production Planner in Rotherham

The Production Planner is responsible for coordinating and managing production planning activities to ensure efficient use of resources, timely delivery of customer orders, and effective inventory control. The role acts as a central point of coordination between print supplier, production, customer service, quality, warehouse, logistics, and external partners to ensure smooth end-to-end material and production flow.

Specific Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain production plans in line with customer demand, capacity, and material availability.
• Liaise closely with production teams to monitor machine status, capacity constraints, and daily production progress.
• Coordinate with Customer Service to align production schedules with customer delivery requirements.
• Ensure finished goods are released and shipped in line with customer requirements and logistics plans.
• Create, maintain, and update master estimates for production items within the planning system.
• Add and maintain accurate packing specifications on all master estimates to support production and logistics.
• Own and manage year-end WIP stock counts, ensuring alignment between physical stock and system records.
• Coordinate and validate internal stock counts and external stock counts held at third-party locations, including KMS warehouse and DMW (lid assembly supplier).
• Investigate and assist resolving stock discrepancies, working with warehouse, production, and finance teams as required.
• Manage die-cut tooling assets with Print supplier, including tracking, documentation, and facilitating tool movements.
• Ensure tooling availability aligns with schedules.
• Own and operate the Inventory Production Reporting (IPR) process introduced under the Radius system.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of inventory, production performance, and material usage.
• Maintain high standards of data accuracy within planning and inventory systems.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to planning, inventory management, and production reporting.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety, and operational procedures at all times.
• Maintain 90% compliance rating between actual shop floor reporting and the division policies.
• Ensures accuracy of Raw Materials, WIP and Finished Goods Inventory balances and quantities.
• Reviews and closes all production orders.
• Identifies and corrects transactional errors for production related entries found in SAP (i.e. End of Shift Reports). Reports error findings to Finance and plant management. Partners with them to develop Corrective Action Plan.
• Acts as Subject Matter Expert and trainer for plant employees on Print Flow. Trains employees on correct ways to utilize and accurately enter data into software.
• Manages daily cycle counts for raw materials and finished goods by auditing the physical counts to the system quantities and examining/reporting any variances found.
• Process inventory adjustments when needed to reflect overruns, quality issues, phantom inventory, etc. once approved by leadership and/or Finance.
• Manages consignment inventory by performing/auditing monthly inventory count, comparing incoming inventory to previous month end numbers and determining period usage.
• Reports production information on a daily basis to Finance and Plant Management.
• Completes reconciliation of pallet programs.
• Completes other tasks as requested by the Finance Department.
• Completes other tasks as requested by Plant Management, if approved by the Finance Department.

Performance Indicators

• On-time delivery performance.
• Accuracy of production plans and schedules.
• Inventory accuracy and stock reconciliation results.
• Effectiveness of IPR reporting and system data accuracy.
• Tooling availability and coordination efficiency.

Skills/Qualifications

• Strong production planning and scheduling capability.
• Excellent coordination and communication skills across multiple functions.
• Strong understanding of inventory management and material flow.
• High attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Experience working with ERP / planning systems (e.g. Radius or similar).
• Problem-solving mindset with the ability to investigate and resolve discrepancies.

Interpersonal Skills

• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Self-motivated.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong computer skills including SAP, Microsoft Office (especially Excel).
• Professional oral and written communication skills.
• 5% - 10% travel required.
• Ability to interact with shop floor personnel, plant management and Finance.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Organized and detail oriented.
• Self-starter.
• Effective problem solving skills.
• 1 - 3 years of manufacturing experience, including experience in inventory control and manufacturing production reporting preferred.
• Highly responsible, reliable and flexible with a strong work ethic.
• Quality and safety conscious.
• Punctual, presentable and with good attendance.