Production Planner jobs
In any manufacturing/production situation, from a workshop to a high-volume production line, there is a fine balance between producing items much faster than they can be sold and going too slow to keep up with demand. In the ideal zone there needs to be a slight leeway, with any slack taken up by warehousing, but since this has a series of cost implications of its own, it needs to be minimised.
The production planner will be in charge of ensuring productivity is always at an optimal level to meet all demands while cutting out overproduction. Where products are perishable or otherwise time-sensitive this would simply not be an option as overproduction is pure waste. But even making things that will sell eventually but slowly will be a drain on the company’s credit and cash flow.
Using materials requirements planning (MRP) software and systems, the production planner will stay in tune with current stock levels, raw materials availability and customer demands to ensure that as productivity rises and falls, all stock levels are optimised. The planner will be in touch with several parties on a regular basis, most notably forecasters, sales and marketing teams, warehousing staff, suppliers and the factory floor. This is all to gain the best possible insight into the ability to meet customer demand and to guide productivity as it rises and falls throughout the year.
The skills required
The main personal characteristic of a production planner will be a logical, analytical mindset. This he or she will engage to perform the mental juggling act that is production planning. Business understanding will be highly valued, as there is little to distinguish running a business and keeping abreast of the costs and planning production based on the best intelligence. Plans will be being made weekly or monthly, but they will always be subject to change as the situation changes – the good planner will be able to take these changes, and all their after-effects and permutations, in their stride.
There are several popular MRP solutions on the market, and there is a good chance any large company will use one of them, so experience in using one would certainly help. A good working knowledge of all the main spread sheet and word processing solutions will also be helpful for analysis and communication.
Production Planner Jobs in Hartlepool
The town of Hartlepool grew up around a monastery and abbey in the 7th century, and the population grew slowly to about 900 by the early 1800s. As the town grew, however, so did the docks, and its importance as a dock became larger when the railways arrived in the mid-1800s, connecting the town to the cities of the North West of England. This pushed Hartlepool to another level, and before long many shipping companies were setting up there.
Industry was soon to follow, with ironworks and shipyards locating in the town, which to this day boasts Europe’s largest dry dock. Able UK operate a facility just outside the town which is now used for decommissioning massive vessels such as aircraft carriers and freight ships. Together, the engineering sector employs close to 2000 people in the town. There is also a nuclear power station, an advanced gas-cooled reactor type, which since its opening in 1983 has become the town’s single largest employer. It is due to close down in the mid to late 2010s, but another plant is planned.
There is a lot going on in Hartlepool, and it’s a diverse place to live in, with jobs related to the heavy industry, maritime work and the usual high street and local shops and service industries that keep the town thriving. It’s a great place to look for a Production Planner job, as this diversity throws up many possibilities in the logistics, procurement and supply chain fields.
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Production planner recruitment at Cast UK
Whether you’re working for a company looking for a production planner or you’re an experienced production planner yourself, Cast UK wants to hear from you. We deal with talent at this level of expertise every day, and we know exactly what kinds of candidates clients are looking for. Your manufacturing operation could really benefit from forming a relationship with Cast UK – please call us on 0333 121 3345 or get in touch here for more info.
For production planners looking for new challenges – please follow the link below and register your details with us. We know there are companies looking for your talents right now, so it could be the smartest thing you can do for your career.
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