At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Planning team to create and execute effective production schedules.
- Company: Join Ontic, a top innovator in aerospace and defence manufacturing.
- Benefits: Enjoy a supportive culture, career growth, and a dynamic work environment.
- Other info: Be part of a rapidly growing company that values innovation and autonomy.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by aligning customer needs with production plans.
- Qualifications: Experience in planning and team leadership within a manufacturing setting.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
Ontic, a leading licensor and manufacturer of complex engineering parts for the global aerospace and defence industries, is now recruiting for a Planning Manager to lead our Planning department at Bishop Cleeve, including the Master Scheduling and Production Planning teams. This is a pivotal role responsible for ensuring customer demand is translated into robust, achievable and executable plans. As the key planning focal point for the business, you will drive the plan through Operations, ensuring conformance to plan is maintained, measured and continually improved.
The Role
Reporting to the Operations Director, the Planning Manager will lead the Planning function, providing the rhythm, visibility and control needed to align customer requirements, S&OP outputs, capacity, material availability and production execution. You will lead, support and develop the Master Scheduling and Production Planning teams, ensuring the plan is understood, owned and delivered across the business. You will act as the planning focal point for the site, providing clear priorities, visibility and direction across functions.
Working closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Services, Engineering, Quality, Finance and Programme teams, you will ensure business-wide alignment between demand, supply, capacity, inventory and delivery performance. Key to success in this role is the ability to combine strong planning expertise with practical leadership, cross-functional influence and a continuous improvement mindset. You will be an enabler across the organisation, identifying opportunities, challenging where needed, and improving our planning processes, tools and ways of working.
In this role, you will:
- Lead, support and develop the Planning team, including Master Scheduling and Production Planning.
- Act as the planning focal point for the business, providing clear priorities, visibility and direction across functions.
- Ensure customer requirements are aligned to master schedules, production plans, capacity and material availability.
- Drive the agreed plan through Operations, ensuring production execution is aligned to schedule.
- Monitor, measure and improve conformance to plan, ensuring risks, constraints and deviations are identified and acted upon.
- Collaborate closely with the S&OP process to ensure demand, supply, capacity and inventory plans are aligned and executable.
- Engage cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Services, Engineering, Quality, Finance and Programme teams to ensure business-wide alignment.
- Work closely with Operations to support schedule adherence, recovery planning, capacity planning and delivery performance.
- Use planning data and operational insight to support clear, practical and timely decision-making.
- Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, tools, visibility and ways of working.
- Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, continuous improvement and delivery focus across the Planning team and wider business.
About You
At Ontic, our culture is key to how we deliver success. We’re looking for someone who brings strong planning capability alongside confident leadership, operational understanding and the ability to influence across a complex, fast-paced environment. To be successful in this role, you will bring:
- A strong background in planning, master scheduling, production planning or supply chain within a manufacturing environment.
- Experience leading and developing teams.
- A strong understanding of ERP/MRP systems, capacity planning, material availability, production schedule adherence and conformance to plan.
- The ability to translate customer demand into clear, executable plans.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Services, Engineering, Quality, Finance and Programme teams.
- Strong analytical capability, with the ability to use planning data and operational insight to support decision-making.
- A structured, detail-oriented approach, combined with pragmatic problem-solving skills.
- The confidence to challenge, influence and engage stakeholders across the business.
- The ability to operate effectively in a complex, fast-paced and regulated environment.
You will also ideally have:
- Experience within aerospace, defence or another heavily regulated manufacturing environment.
- A relevant qualification in supply chain, planning, operations, engineering or business management.
- APICS/CPIM, Lean, Six Sigma or equivalent continuous improvement qualifications.
- Experience supporting S&OP or similar business planning processes.
- Experience improving planning processes, tools, visibility and ways of working.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role will be measured by improved customer plan alignment, stronger conformance to plan, effective planning team leadership, successful engagement with S&OP, improved schedule adherence, and a Planning function that is recognised as a key enabler for the wider business.
Best Place to Work
We are more than the sum of our parts — and we’ve been recognised for it: Ranked #9 in Best Companies’ Q3 leaderboard for Best Manufacturing Company. 72.5% of employees in our 2023 survey said they are proud to work at Ontic. We’ve experienced rapid growth, doubling in size in recent years. No day is the same at Ontic. Our success comes from empowering our colleagues to create opportunity, fostering an environment of autonomy where we ask for forgiveness, not permission.
Our Values
Our values are intrinsic to everything we do:
- We share a common sense – a global family of specialists with a shared passion for precision.
- We have the freedom to choose – challengers and innovators who think differently.
- We create the opportunity – change-makers with a clear direction and can-do spirit.
We are a fast-paced business with ambitious growth plans; so if you are dedicated, enthusiastic and always seeking ways to improve, you'll enjoy a career with us!
Planning Manager in Cheltenham employer: Ontic
At Ontic, we pride ourselves on being more than just a workplace; we are a thriving community of innovators dedicated to excellence in the aerospace and defence industries. Located in Bishop Cleeve, our culture fosters talent development, continuous improvement, and collaboration across functions, ensuring that every employee has the opportunity to grow and make a meaningful impact. With a commitment to empowering our team members and a recognition as one of the best manufacturing companies to work for, Ontic offers a dynamic environment where your contributions are valued and rewarded.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Planning Manager in Cheltenham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the aerospace and defence industries, especially those who work at Ontic. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by understanding Ontic's values and culture. Show us how your experience aligns with our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. We love candidates who can demonstrate their passion for innovation!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your STAR technique for answering behavioural questions. We want to hear about specific situations where you've led teams or improved processes. Be ready to share your success stories!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows us you’re genuinely interested in being part of our community at Ontic.
We think you need these skills to ace Planning Manager in Cheltenham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Planning Manager role. Highlight your relevant experience in planning, master scheduling, and team leadership. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Showcase Your Achievements:Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific achievements that demonstrate your impact in previous roles. Use metrics where possible to show how you’ve improved processes or outcomes. We love numbers that tell a story!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. Use straightforward language and avoid jargon unless it’s relevant to the role. We appreciate clarity and want to understand your qualifications without wading through fluff.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, you’ll find all the details about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ontic
✨Know Your Planning Fundamentals
Brush up on your knowledge of master scheduling, production planning, and supply chain management. Be ready to discuss how you’ve successfully translated customer demand into executable plans in your previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading and developing teams. Think about specific situations where you’ve motivated your team or improved their performance, especially in a fast-paced environment.
✨Understand Cross-Functional Collaboration
Familiarise yourself with the different functions you'll be working with, such as Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve effectively engaged with these teams to ensure alignment and improve processes.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Think of instances where you've identified opportunities for improvement in planning processes or tools. Be ready to share your approach to fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within your team.
