Production & Supply Planner

ASR Group is the world’s largest refiner and marketer of cane sugar, with an annual production capacity of more than 6 million tons of sugar. The company produces a full line of grocery, industrial, food service and specialty sweetener products. Across North America, ASR Group owns and operates six sugar refineries, located in Louisiana, New York, California, Maryland, Canada and Mexico. In the European Union, the company owns and operates sugar refineries in England and Portugal. ASR Group also owns and operates mills in Mexico and Belize. The company’s brand portfolio includes the leading brands Domino®, C&H®, Redpath®, Tate & Lyle®, Lyle’s® and Sidul®.

Location: Thames Refinery, 3 days office & 2 days home based.

Due to an internal promotion we are seeking a new Supply Planner to join the team. The position will focus on Production, Scheduling & Supply Planning but we are keen for this role and the successful candidate to evolve with time to help with your development.

Position Scope:

• To determine the current and future supply capabilities and constraints in line with the enterprise sales forecast.
• Ensures that the business has the right stock in the right place, at the right time to meet customer demand in all European operations.
• Ownership and creation of line schedules, the rolling 13 weeks operational supply/inventory plans and S&OP stock and capacity projections.

Position Strategic Objectives:

• To carry out capacity and inventory planning across EU operations to deliver effective plans to achieve targeted on time and in full dispatch to customers.
• To create line schedules daily and weekly from self-created supply plans.
• Active management of the order book (frequency at least daily).
• Work collaboratively with Operations to ensure optimal schedules to maximize line output and enable Operations to achieve efficiency KPIs where possible.
• Develop both internal and external relationships to ensure robust collaborative relationships with internal customers in sales and marketing and internal suppliers in production scheduling, production, material requirements planning and purchasing.

Detailed Roles & Responsibilities - Summary:

• Identify, confirm and update the key supply constraints, lead times and capability at in house and external co-packers across the EU Supply Chain and for any imported products from outside the EU.
• Build and control capacity models to demonstrate supply capability and “rough cut capacity planning” across refining, packing and contract packers and update these models on the basis of demonstrated capacity and agreed 12/8/4 week moving averages.
• Identify supply gaps versus demand forecasts and recommend or implement solutions to fill gaps so as to ensure targeted levels of product availability.
• Determine optimal inventory levels to meet demand at lowest total cost for finished goods and packaging materials.
• Review order book versus available supply on daily basis, making changes as required in line with targeted cost and service balance.
• Ensure scheduling of production lines on time to meet demand.
• Work with Purchasing and MRP to ensure the stock targets for packaging materials by SKU are optimal to ensure supply.

Essential Capabilities:

• High level of proactivity and pragmatic solutions provider for internal and external customers.
• Detailed understanding of production rates, supply rules, changeover times and supply constraints.
• Demonstrates a commitment to Delighting the Customer mission and motivation of the team to achieve a common objective.
• Ability to work within deadlines/under pressure.
• Strong problem solving skills, highly numerate and analytical/detailed approach.
• Detailed experience of S&OP in the cloud operations FMCG commercial understanding and attitude/approach.

Essential Work Experiences:

• Previous work experience within planning positions with high proactivity requirements.
• FMCG/Consumer Goods experience in a fast paced production environment.
• SAP or ERP experience (as a user).

At Tate & Lyle Sugars, our goal is to be the most admired sweetener Company. Service Excellence - Be the industry's Gold Standard by a relentless focus on reliability, providing products with superior quality and excellent customer services. Efficiency and Sustainability - Eliminate inefficiency to be a sustainable, low cost producer and to generate fuel for reinvestment. Value-Add - create strategic advantage and enhanced profitability through value-added products and services. The foundation of our values is Talent and Culture as we aim to build, retain and motivate a winning team.