Operations Planner

SUMMARY:
Base oils distribution and lubricant blending company requires a Senior Operations Planner to coordinate the end-to-end flow of materials and finished products, from supplier deliveries and tanker receipts through storage, blending, production and packaging.
The role involves close coordination with Sales, Procurement, Suppliers, Transporters, Warehouse, Production, Quality and Logistics to ensure timely material availability, efficient production scheduling, effective storage management and on-time dispatch. The successful candidate will balance customer demand, production capacity, raw-material availability, tank and warehouse capacity, tanker movements and dispatch requirements to maintain an efficient, uninterrupted operation.

POSITION INFO:
Key Responsibilities Plan and coordinate inbound tanker deliveries of base oils, chemicals, additives and other bulk raw materials, aligning arrivals with production requirements, tank capacity, supplier availability and transport schedules. Monitor tanker arrivals, delays and changes, maintain accurate delivery schedules, and minimise waiting times. Monitor tank utilisation and storage capacity, coordinating tank movements with Operations and Production to ensure materials are available when required. Develop daily, weekly and monthly production and blending plans based on customer demand, forecasts, available resources and production capacity. Optimise production sequences to reduce downtime, changeovers and delays, adjusting schedules as priorities or circumstances change. Plan finished-product availability, packaging and filling requirements in line with customer orders, production completion dates and dispatch requirements. Plan and coordinate bulk, tanker and packaged-product dispatches with Warehouse and transport providers, ensuring products are ready for collection or delivery. Maintain an integrated operational plan covering raw materials, tankers, storage, production, packaging, finished goods, transport and dispatch. Act as a key communication link between Planning, Production, Operations, Warehouse, Sales, suppliers, transporters and management. Monitor raw-material and finished-product inventory, identifying shortages or excess stock and incorporating supplier lead times and outstanding purchase orders into planning. Translate customer requirements into operational priorities and proactively identify constraints or delays that could affect customer commitments. Maintain accurate planning data in SAP, including production orders, material requirements, sales orders, purchase orders and delivery schedules. Prepare daily and weekly planning reports, monitor actual performance against plans, and provide management with visibility of upcoming requirements and operational constraints. Proactively identify and escalate supply, production, storage, inventory and dispatch risks before they impact operations or customers. Drive continuous improvement by reducing tanker waiting times, improving tank and warehouse utilisation, minimising production delays and stock shortages, and improving dispatch efficiency and on-time delivery. Key Requirements Diploma or Degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Production Management, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering or a related field. A qualification in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or a related technical field would be advantageous. 3-5 years' experience in operations, supply chain, production or logistics planning. Experience in a chemical, lubricant, petrochemical, blending or bulk-material environment would be highly advantageous. Experience planning inbound and outbound transport. Experience with bulk tanker deliveries and\/or chemical products would be advantageous. Experience working with production, warehouse and logistics teams. Experience using SAP and Excel Experience with inventory and material planning.