Specials Production Specialist

The Production Planner is responsible for developing and maintaining an effective production plan to ensure customer demand is met safely, efficiently, and on time. The role acts as the key link between Commercial, Customer Care, Materials Planning, Production, and Logistics, balancing customer requirements with manufacturing capacity, material availability, and inventory targets., The Production Planner will utilise systems such as SAP, POMS, and Excel to create and manage production schedules, monitor operational performance, and drive continuous improvement within the planning process., Production Planning & Scheduling

• Create and maintain production schedules for a portfolio of Special Cables products.
• Develop short, medium, and long-term production plans that optimise available manufacturing capacity.
• Monitor production run rates and line performance, adjusting plans where necessary to meet business priorities.
• Balance customer demand, manufacturing constraints, and inventory targets to achieve optimum service levels.
• Ensure production plans are communicated clearly and effectively to all relevant stakeholders.
Capacity & Performance Management
• Monitor manufacturing capacity and identify potential bottlenecks or constraints.
• Work closely with Shift Coordinators and Production teams to ensure the appropriate resources and production lines are available to execute the plan.
• Support production recovery plans following downtime, delays, or changes in demand.
• Participate actively in daily production stand-up meetings and lead daily production planning review meetings.
Materials & Inventory Management
• Collaborate closely with Material Planners to ensure material availability aligns with production requirements.
• Communicate changes in demand, priorities, and schedule adjustments to the material planning team in a timely manner.
• Ensure materials are requisitioned and available at the production line before scheduled production starts.
• Maintain appropriate levels of Work in Progress (WIP) inventory to support efficient production flow.
• Maintain finished goods inventory levels in line with agreed stock policies and customer service requirements.
Customer Service & Demand Management
• Monitor Available to Promise (ATP) performance and support actions to improve service levels.
• Monitor On Time Delivery (OTD) performance and proactively address risks to customer deliveries.
• Work closely with Commercial and Customer Care teams to evaluate customer requests, expedite requirements, and changes in demand.
• Provide accurate delivery commitments based on capacity, material availability, and business priorities.
KPI & Continuous Improvement
• Support weekly KPI review meetings as part of the wider Supply Chain team.
• Analyse planning performance and identify opportunities to improve service, inventory, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Develop and maintain planning reports and data analysis using SAP, POMS, and Excel.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across planning, scheduling, inventory management, and customer service processes.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• On Time Delivery (OTD)
• Available to Promise (ATP)
• Schedule Adherence
• Production Plan Attainment
• Finished Goods Inventory
• Work in Progress (WIP) Levels
• Manufacturing Capacity Utilisation
• Customer Service Performance
• Inventory Days of Cover (DOC)
  
  Experience in production planning, supply chain planning, scheduling, or manufacturing operations.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and capacity planning principles.
• Experience using ERP systems such as SAP.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Desirable
• Experience within cable manufacturing or a similar process manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of POMS or equivalent manufacturing planning systems.
• APICS/CPIM or equivalent supply chain qualification.
• Experience working with inventory optimisation and KPI management.
Behaviours
• Customer focused with a strong service mindset.
• Proactive and solutions-oriented.
• Strong attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Collaborative team player who works effectively across functions.
• Comfortable challenging assumptions and escalating risks when required.
• Driven to continuously improve processes and performance.