Project Planner (DV Cleared)
Rate: £520 per day Inside IR35
Clearance: Active DV Clearance Required
Overview
An opportunity has arisen for experienced Project Planners to support production planning activities across manufacturing and operational delivery teams within a highly secure environment.
The successful candidates will play a key role in maintaining and delivering production schedules, coordinating demand across multiple stakeholders, ensuring material availability, and driving planning excellence throughout the programme lifecycle.
We are particularly interested in candidates from either:
- Engineering (Mechanical or Precision Engineering)
- Manufacturing Planning
- Production Planning
- Materials Planning
- Supply Chain Planning
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain and support the Master Production Schedule and supplementary schedules, ensuring forecast dates remain accurate and achievable.
- Develop detailed manufacturing plans in line with programme requirements, balancing schedule, cost and quality objectives.
- Ensure all planning data within MRP and ERP systems is accurate, current and aligned to operational requirements.
- Coordinate production demand across operational delivery units to ensure schedules remain balanced and deconflicted.
- Manage material requirements and support the planning of supplier deliveries and purchase orders.
- React effectively to supply chain challenges and changing business priorities through proactive reforecasting and schedule optimisation.
- Apply Lean Planning and Production Control methodologies, including visual management, Kanban and pull-based planning techniques.
- Attend visual management meetings and ensure all planning-related actions are tracked and completed.
- Support the creation and maintenance of Basis of Estimates, including production schedules and associated cost forecasts.
- Liaise with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and programme teams to ensure a coordinated planning approach.
- Produce and maintain KPI reporting and planning metrics.
- Identify risks, issues and constraints affecting production and take ownership of resolution activities.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives and operational excellence programmes.
- Build strong relationships across internal teams and external stakeholders to support successful programme delivery.
Essential Experience
- Proven experience in Production Planning, Manufacturing Planning, Materials Planning or Project Planning.
- Experience working within manufacturing, engineering, precision engineering, defence, aerospace or similarly regulated environments.
- Understanding of manufacturing processes, machining operations and production workflows.
- Experience managing production schedules, material availability and supply chain dependencies.
- Strong knowledge of MRP systems and planning processes.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to produce planning reports, analyse performance data and communicate planning status effectively.
- Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to removing delivery obstacles.
Desirable Experience
- SAP experience.
- ERP system expertise.
- Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement background.
- Defence or government programme experience.
Security Requirements
Applicants must hold active DV clearance and be eligible to work within a secure UK environment. Candidates should be British Citizens and have typically resided in the UK for the previous ten years in line with DV clearance requirements. Dual nationality may be considered subject to programme restrictions.