At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Planning department, ensuring customer demand translates into achievable plans.
- Company: Join Ontic, a community of innovators in aerospace and defence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Other info: Collaborate across functions to enhance processes and drive success.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving planning excellence in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in planning and team leadership within manufacturing.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ 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.
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.
Planning Manager 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 collaborative work culture fosters talent development and continuous improvement, offering employees meaningful growth opportunities and the chance to make a significant impact within a dynamic environment. Join us as a Planning Manager and be part of a team that values your expertise while driving operational success and customer satisfaction.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Planning Manager
✨Join Aerospace Forums and Groups
Get involved in aerospace engineering forums and online communities, like the AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics). It's a great way to meet industry peers and stay updated on job openings and trends in the field.
✨Attend Industry Conferences
Keep an eye on upcoming aerospace conferences and events where you can network with professionals and showcase your interest. Events like the Farnborough International Airshow are not just about flying machines; they're a goldmine for connections and potential job leads.
✨Spotlight Your Projects
Make sure to highlight any hands-on experience or projects on your portfolio that showcase your skills in aerospace engineering. Employers love seeing practical applications of theoretical knowledge. Show us what you've got!
✨Apply Directly on Company Websites
When you find companies you want to work for, head straight to their careers page to apply for full-time roles, like the one with Ontic for a Planning Manager. This often puts your application in front of the right people faster than just waiting for job boards!
We think you need these skills to ace Planning Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Skills:When applying for the aerospace engineering role at Ontic, make sure to highlight your technical expertise. Include specific software skills, like CAD tools or simulation software, and any relevant engineering projects you’ve worked on. This is your chance to really shine and showcase your engineering toolkit!
Don't Skip Your Projects!:Include a section in your CV dedicated to projects that demonstrate your problem-solving abilities in aerospace engineering. Whether it's a university project, an internship, or personal work, we love seeing how you’ve applied your skills in real-world scenarios. Make it clear what your role was and the impact of the project.
Show Your Passion in Your Cover Letter:At Ontic, we're not just looking for skills – we want to know why you’re passionate about aerospace engineering. Use your cover letter to express what excites you about aviation technology and your career goals. Share any relevant experiences or inspirations that have led you to apply for this full-time position.
Tailor Your CV for Aerospace:Make sure your CV is specifically tailored to aerospace engineering. Focus on your education, any certifications, and your work experience, ensuring you highlight aspects that relate directly to the role. Don’t forget to mention any internships or apprenticeships that have given you hands-on experience.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ontic
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Knowledge
Aerospace engineering is all about technical precision, so make sure you’re comfortable with key concepts like aerodynamics, propulsion, and materials science. We recommend going through any relevant coursework or projects you’ve worked on – these real-world examples can illustrate your understanding during the interview with Ontic.
✨Showcase Your Projects with Confidence
Make sure to have a portfolio ready that details any significant projects you've worked on, whether it’s a group assignment or a personal endeavour. Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced, the tools you used, like CAD software, and what you learned from the experience, as this will show your problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Technical Interviews
Expect some technical questions or even problem-solving exercises during your interview with Ontic. Get familiar with design challenges or theoretical problems related to aerospace; this can range from calculating lift and drag forces to materials selection under stress. Practising these can help you feel more at ease when faced with tricky questions.
✨Emphasise Your Passion and Teamwork Skills
As a full-time candidate, it’s crucial to convey your passion for aerospace engineering and your ability to work in teams. Highlight any group projects or internships you've done, focusing on how you collaborated with others to achieve a goal. Companies like Ontic love seeing candidates who not only have technical skills but also fit well within their team culture.
