Position description 

Watchmaker is inviting applications for the full-time position of Manufacturing Planner based In Cape Town, South Africa. The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced working environment and contribute directly to our company culture and success. 

Responsibilities

Main duties include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• Develop, coordinate, and monitor the daily manufacturing schedule to ensure batches commence and are completed on time.
• Track work orders and production progress, identifying and resolving scheduling or process bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with Demand Planning, Product Management, and Customer Success to align production schedules, maintain inventory levels, and communicate product release timelines.
• Coordinate with Production, Quality Control, Supply Chain, Process Development, and Engineering to ensure materials, documentation, equipment, and resources are available to support uninterrupted manufacturing.
• Monitor the availability and flow of raw materials, consumables, intermediates, and finished goods to prevent production delays.
• Schedule and support new product introductions, pilot builds, technology transfers, and process changes, ensuring operational readiness.
• Initiate purchase requests for GMP materials and coordinate Quality Control release of incoming materials.
• Coordinate manufacturing suite readiness, including equipment staging, room turnover, line clearance activities, and equipment maintenance and calibration schedules.
• Generate and report manufacturing performance metrics, including batch cycle times, yields, schedule adherence, and operational efficiency.
• Support batch record review activities and contribute to continuous improvement of manufacturing processes.

Skills and Requirements

The candidate should have at minimum an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in supply chain or a related discipline, with at least three years of relevant industry experience, including Production, Supply Chain, and Logistics. Broad technical knowledge of life science reagents, enzyme production, or genomics is a plus.

The following skills and experience are requirements for the position:

• Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Strong planning, time management, and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently while consistently delivering high-quality results under pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a practical, disciplined approach to continuous improvement.
• Experience developing and managing production schedules, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Hands-on experience with production scheduling, inventory management, work order coordination, and ERP/MRP systems.
• Proven ability to work effectively with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Customer Success, and New Product Development teams.

Education and Experience

• An undergraduate bachelor’s degree in supply chain or a relevant discipline.
• Minimum of 3+ years in biotech or related industry, including positions with broad functional scope across Production, Supply Chain, and Logistics.

Application Requirements

To apply for the position, please submit the following in a PDF format on watchmakergenomics.com: 

• Letter of motivation (upload where it says cover letter)
• Resume or Curriculum vitae, highlighting relevant qualifications and experience

Applications without a Letter of Motivation will not be considered. Applicants must be South African or be eligible to work in South Africa and already possess the necessary work permits or visas, or be able to obtain them before responding to this vacancy.

To ensure your application is considered, please submit it by Friday, 31 July 2026. Please note that this position may close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who are able to assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested. We will also request a current payslip.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE

We are only accepting direct applications for this position. We are not working with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters will not be considered and will be deemed the property of Watchmaker Genomics

SOUTH AFRICA - WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.

All applicants will be asked if they are currently eligible to work in South Africa.  South African citizens are preferred.

This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable laws.