Machine Shop Planner

Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

The role:

We are looking for a Machine Shop Planner to manage and coordinate work orders across the machine shop, ensuring production plans are delivered efficiently and on time. You will play a key role in balancing demand, capacity, and inventory, working closely with production, engineering, and supply chain teams. This role combines day-to-day operational planning with involvement in inventory optimisation, new product introduction (NPI), and continuous improvement activities.

Key responsibilities:

• Plan and manage machine shop work orders, ensuring demand requirements are met through effective scheduling and capacity planning.
• Review and action MRP signals and system reports daily to maintain an accurate and achievable production plan.
• Monitor production progress, ensuring delivery aligns with daily and weekly plans and proactively resolving issues.
• Identify, manage, and escalate shortages, including conducting root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions.
• Collaborate closely with production teams to optimise machine utilisation and sequencing.
• Analyse capacity constraints and present solutions to balance workload and improve efficiency.
• Expedite or reschedule manufacturing orders to maintain on-time delivery performance.
• Support inventory optimisation through regular reviews and ensuring accurate planning system data.
• Contribute to item setup, inventory quality management, and planning reviews.
• Support new product introduction projects by analysing demand and presenting production scenarios.
• Work cross-functionally with logistics, customer service, and project teams to improve flow and efficiency.
• Identify and deliver continuous improvement opportunities across planning processes.

Your experience:

• Experience in production planning or supply chain planning within a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems (e.g. Oracle, SAP) and experience building or managing production plans.
• Experience reviewing capacity, managing work orders, and balancing supply vs demand.
• Exposure to inventory management and optimisation techniques.
• Experience supporting projects or new product introductions (desirable).
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings (desirable).

Your skills:

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and make informed planning decisions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, with confidence in reporting, data analysis, and interpretation.
• Excellent communication skills, able to collaborate effectively with production and cross-functional teams.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and results-oriented approach.
• Ability to problem solve using structured methodologies (e.g. root cause analysis, lean principles).
• Resilient and able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits:

You will receive a competitive salary (and a discretionary bonus), flexible working and excellent benefits including 27 days holiday allowance (before bank holidays), 3 days’ paid volunteering leave, comprehensive private healthcare, enhanced pension plan, life assurance, optional participation in a Share Ownership Plan, free onsite parking, flexible benefits, and access to a personal discounts’ portal.

We also offer a range of additional support and benefits through our Everyone is Included Group Inclusion Plan.

We are passionate about creating inclusive and equitable working cultures where everyone can be themselves and achieve their full potential. For us, that means supportive teams and strong relationships where everyone’s contribution is valued - across social and cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, genders, gender identities, abilities, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and everything else that makes us human and unique.

We want everyone to be able to make their difference here, so we will always consider requests for flexible working. We know that everyone needs some extra help from time to time too, so we have introduced a range of additional benefits through our Group Inclusion Commitments.

We are also a Disability Confident Committed Employer. If you would like to apply using this scheme, please select this option in our application form or notify our recruitment partners.