Manufacturing Planner

Manufacturing Planner
Location: Ampthill
Salary: £38,000 – £44,000
Clearance: BPSS required to start
Working Pattern: Hybrid – 50% onsite
Sector: Defence | Aerospace

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Planner to develop and maintain production plans supporting the successful manufacture and delivery of Complex Systems products.

The role focuses on detailed short-term scheduling, six-week capacity forecasting and SAP-based planning to ensure effective utilisation of labour, machinery, materials and specialist skills.

Working closely with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain and Programme teams, you’ll drive delivery performance, resource planning and project readiness across multiple programmes.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop and maintain production schedules, identifying and escalating risks and constraints.
Produce six-week capacity plans covering labour, machinery and specialist skills.
Work with Production and Engineering to optimise resource utilisation and throughput.
Coordinate production plans with machine maintenance activities.
Interpret Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) and align manufacturing capability with programme requirements.
Lead Line of Balance (LOB) reviews and engage cross-functional stakeholders.
Ensure plans support customer requirements, contractual milestones and programme priorities.
Support daily and weekly planning reviews, monitoring performance against plan.
Manage SAP demand and production planning throughout the project lifecycle.
Maintain material readiness to support on-time delivery.
Provide planning and capacity input for bids, forecasts and Basis of Estimate (BOE) development.
Required Experience:
Production, scheduling or manufacturing planning experience within a complex manufacturing environment.
Strong knowledge of SAP Production Planning and Material Control.
Proven capacity planning and resource management experience.
Experience interpreting Integrated Master Schedules (IMS).
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Excellent analytical, organisational and problem-solving abilities.
Desirable Experience:
Aerospace, Defence, Engineering or other regulated manufacturing experience.
Subcontract order management.
Microsoft Project experience.
Understanding of manufacturing engineering and production operations.
Experience supporting bids and BOE development.
Benefits:
25 days annual leave + bank holidays.
Competitive salary package.
Generous pension scheme.
Private medical cover.
Employee life assurance.
Interested?
Please get in touch with Justin Thornhill to discuss the opportunity and next steps.

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