Production Planner

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
We are seeking an experienced Production Planner to translate customer demand and warehouse replenishment requirements into an achievable, cost-effective production plan that optimises manufacturing capacity, raw material availability, inventory levels and customer service.   The successful candidate must be a resilient, analytical and assertive planner who can operate under pressure, challenge existing practices constructively, and drive improvements in planning discipline, production execution and cross-functional coordination.   Key Responsibilities: Develop and maintain monthly and weekly production plans aligned with demand, stock requirements, manufacturing capacity and raw material availability. Assess capacity constraints, equipment compatibility, maintenance requirements and production priorities to ensure realistic scheduling. Generate and manage production jobs through Syspro, ensuring accurate planning data and timely job closure. Monitor daily production plan adherence, investigate deviations, identify root causes and drive corrective action. Coordinate closely with Production, Procurement, Warehousing, Dispatch and Commercial teams to resolve constraints and protect customer service. Optimise production sequences and batch sizes to improve efficiency, minimise changeovers and avoid excess or obsolete finished goods. Monitor inventory availability, participate in stock counts and support accurate stock control. Produce capacity, production performance and S&OP reports, highlighting risks, trends and opportunities to the Factory Manager. Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, systems, data accuracy and operational performance. Analytical thinking: Use data to identify risks, understand root causes and make sound planning decisions. Planning discipline: Methodical, systematic, detail-oriented and committed to accurate schedules and reporting. Influencing and coordination: Able to work across functions, gain cooperation and translate plans into action. Ownership mentality: Proactive, solutions-focused and comfortable working independently in a demanding manufacturing environment. Reporting: Supply the Factory Manager with the relevant Standard and Operating Procedure (S&OP) information to be included in the management report, include production demand performance. Monitor adherence to plan and escalate failure to adhere to the Factory Manager. Prepare and distribute relevant capacity report and indicate all available capacity and opportunities to the production team. Experience and Qualifications: Matric, with a Diploma in Supply Chain Management, Production Management, Operations or Business Management preferred. 3–5 Years’ experience in production planning, inventory planning or manufacturing scheduling, preferably in FMCG. Strong working knowledge of Syspro or a comparable manufacturing ERP system. Advanced Excel skills, including data analysis, reporting and production planning. Expert knowledge of other MS Office packages (e.g. Word, Outlook, Teams, etc.). Good understanding of manufacturing processes, inventory control, warehousing and dispatch. Chemical manufacturing experience will be an advantage. Valid driver’s license and reliable transport. Job Related Knowledge: Product (chemical) knowledge (advantageous). ERP planning knowledge. Supply Chain knowledge within the FMCG environment. Warehousing and dispatch knowledge. Manufacturing processes knowledge (advantageous). Stock control knowledge.