Job Description:

Production Planner - CROWN Packaging Manufacturing UK Limited

We currently have a vacancy for a Production Planner. The position is based at our Botcherby Plant in Carlisle and is a full-time role working Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week.

The Botcherby Plant is a major supplier of aluminium beverage cans, producing approximately 1.4 billion cans and over 6 billion ring-pull ends annually. The site operates 24/7 and plays a key role within our global operations.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced and knowledgeable individual to join a multinational organisation.

Job Summary

The Production Planner plays a critical role in ensuring the efficient operation of manufacturing processes by developing and maintaining effective production plans that balance customer demand, production capacity, and material availability. The role is responsible for optimising production schedules to ensure products are manufactured and delivered on time while minimising waste and maximising operational efficiency.

Working closely with cross-functional teams across EMEA, the Production Planner ensures production activities align with business objectives and proactively manages any disruptions that could impact supply continuity.

Key Responsibilities

The Production Planner is responsible for creating and maintaining detailed production schedules that support business requirements and meet customer expectations. Working collaboratively with Sales, Production, Procurement, Exports, Supply Chain Planning, and other key stakeholders across the region, the role ensures that production plans are aligned with demand forecasts, inventory levels, and operational capabilities.

The role is responsible for developing and maintaining production plans and schedules that support customer demand and business objectives, whilst ensuring alignment of production activities with forecasted demand through close collaboration with Sales, Production, Procurement, Exports, and Supply Chain teams. The Production Planner monitors raw material and finished goods inventory levels, identifying potential shortages, excess stock, and supply risks, and utilises effective inventory, stock, and forecast management techniques to optimise working capital and maintain continuity of supply.

The position coordinates production adjustments and material procurement activities in response to changing business requirements and is responsible for identifying and resolving scheduling conflicts, capacity constraints, and production bottlenecks to support efficient manufacturing operations. The Production Planner manages production orders, material requirements, and inventory transactions within ERP/MRP systems, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of planning data at all times.

A key aspect of the role involves reviewing production performance, analysing key performance indicators (KPIs), and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement. Corrective actions are implemented where required to improve planning accuracy, service levels, inventory performance, and operational efficiency. The Production Planner also supports engineering change management activities, ensuring that product and process changes are effectively incorporated into production plans with minimal disruption, whilst supporting wider supply continuity initiatives across the EMEA region.

The role is responsible for preparing and delivering regular performance reports to management, highlighting achievements, risks, challenges, and proposed solutions. Compliance with month-end processes, inventory control procedures, company policies, quality standards, and health and safety requirements must be maintained at all times. In addition, the Production Planner is expected to continuously seek opportunities to improve planning processes, systems, reporting tools, and ways of working, while providing flexible support to other site functions during peak periods, holiday cover, business-critical activities, and periods of increased operational demand in order to meet business objectives.

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate will typically possess a qualification in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline, together with a minimum of three to five years' experience in production planning, scheduling, or supply chain roles within a manufacturing environment.

They will have strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, capacity planning, production scheduling, and inventory management principles, together with experience working with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards (JDE), or similar platforms. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and make informed decisions.

The role requires excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels of the organisation. Candidates must possess strong organisational and time-management skills and be capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, is also required.

The successful individual will be able to work independently whilst collaborating effectively within cross-functional teams and will be expected to support other site functions during peak periods, holiday cover, business-critical activities, and periods of increased operational demand, providing flexible cross-functional support as required to meet business objectives.

Key Competencies

The successful Production Planner will demonstrate strong capability in production planning and scheduling, demand and forecast management, inventory optimisation, capacity planning, and supply chain coordination. They will possess a high level of competence in ERP/MRP systems management, data analysis and reporting, continuous improvement methodologies, problem solving, and decision making.

Success in the role will also require excellent stakeholder management, communication, and collaboration skills, together with the ability to build effective working relationships across functions and regions to support business objectives and operational performance.

In return you will receive:-

• performance related pay scheme (over and above basic salary).

• an attractive contributory pension scheme.

• private medical scheme, health cash plan and subsidised dental care.

• life assurance scheme.

• on site canteen.

• cycle to work scheme.

• leave during Christmas/New Year period.

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays