Production Planner
The Role:
As our Production Planner, you will be a crucial part of our operations team, responsible for all production planning and scheduling activities across our Original Equipment (OE), Spares, and Return to Base service items within our factory. Your primary focus will be on translating customer demand into an achievable Master Production Schedule that optimizes both delivery performance and inventory goals.Your success will be measured by your ability to ensure On Time Delivery (OTD) to our customers and maintain strong adherence to the production schedule.
Key Responsibilities:
- Transform customer demand into a realistic and effective Master Production Schedule.
- Continuously assess changes in customer demand and analyze their impact on capacity and production volumes.
- Manage the end-to-end production planning process for spare parts to meet aftermarket supply chain requirements.
- Ensure the timely release of production kits according to the communicated plan and visually track adherence.
- Determine optimal production lot sizes to maximize manufacturing efficiency while minimizing inventory investment.
- Proactively manage exception messages generated by the MRP system, including creating, progressing, delaying, and cancelling orders, and addressing deadline overruns and late starts.
- Promptly escalate any potential material shortages to the relevant teams.
- Maintain accurate master data for internal lead times and applicable safety stock levels.
- Actively support initiatives to improve our customer delivery promise dates.
- Assist the Team Leader in providing accurate data for all key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Maintain a flexible approach and support the Team Leader with ad-hoc tasks as required by business needs.
What We're Looking For:
- A basic understanding of Production Planning principles and a strong willingness to learn and develop within our specific business setup, someone who has perhaps worked in a Warehouse, working on Inventory/Goods.
- An energetic, results-oriented, and highly driven individual with a proactive approach.
- Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy.
- Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey information clearly and concisely.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong working relationships.
- Proven ability to balance competing priorities and manage time effectively in a demanding environment.
- Ideally, experience with SAP in a manufacturing environment (but not essential).
Impact and Scope:
- You will directly support the execution of the production plan as directed by the Team Leader.
- You will be instrumental in building and maintaining strong working relationships with key internal stakeholders across Order Management, Logistics, Material Purchasing, Production, and Manufacturing Engineering.
- Your efforts will directly contribute to achieving and improving our on-time delivery performance to our valued customers.
- You may also interact with external manufacturing entities as required.
Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Basic understanding in Production Planning and willing to learn based on business set-up.
- Experience of Supply Chain (Sales Orders, Inventory, Goods In)
- Able to work on site at Hemel Hempstead, 5 days a week.
- Able to obtain SC Level Clearance.
- Energetic, results oriented, driven individual.
- Attention to detail imperative.
- Effective communicator.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Ability to balance priorities and manage time effectively.
- Ideally with SAP knowledge in manufacturing environment but not necessary.
You’ll also have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of benefits to suit your lifestyle, offering you and your family support from a health and wellbeing, financial and lifestyle perspective.
Join us and work for a world-leader, with the benefits and training to reward your dedication and skills. Be part of a team where we are making the world a safer place.
We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics.We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.
At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc)
Every minute of every day, Smiths Detection’s threat detection and security screening technology helps to protect people and infrastructure, making the world a safer place.
Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group is a global leader in the development, manufacture and management of security and detection solutions designed to make the world a safer place. Our technology provides threat detection and screening solutions for customers in our key markets: aviation, ports and borders, defence, and urban security.
Our expertise spans 21 global offices, seven manufacturing sites and five R&D centres, with a global network of 3,000 dedicated colleagues contributing towards over 40 years at the frontline of advances in safety and security.
This results in careers built on variety and the opportunity to work on a range of state-of-the-art solutions, where you can develop your knowledge and experience every day.