We are recruiting a proactive and highly organised Production Scheduler to join a leading food manufacturing business, operating in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. You will be responsible for creating, maintaining, and adjusting production schedules to ensure optimal use of resources, adherence to customer delivery timelines, and minimal disruption to production lines.
This role plays a critical part in aligning production output with customer demand, raw material availability, and operational efficiency, while working closely with planning, operations, and supply chain teams.
Key Responsibilities
Production Scheduling
- Develop and maintain short- and medium-term production schedules in line with sales forecasts, material availability, and capacity constraints.
- Adjust daily schedules in real-time to respond to changes in demand, machine breakdowns, or material shortages.
- Ensure the plan supports customer order fulfilment targets while minimising waste and downtime.
- Balance product changeovers and labour allocation across lines to maximise line efficiency.
Communication & Collaboration
- Liaise daily with Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Warehouse teams to ensure schedules are achievable and aligned with resource availability.
- Act as the link between planning and shop floor teams to communicate and update production priorities.
- Work closely with the Technical and Quality teams to ensure compliance with product specifications and hygiene standards.
Data Management & Analysis
- Utilise Excel (advanced level) and ERP/MRP systems to create, manage, and analyse production plans.
- Monitor and report key scheduling metrics, including schedule adherence, plan accuracy, and line utilisation.
- Identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for continuous improvement using data-driven insights.
Compliance & Standards
- Ensure production schedules comply with food safety regulations, customer specifications, and internal quality standards.
- Support traceability and batch control by ensuring correct planning of product sequences and changeovers.
- Contribute to audits and continuous improvement activities within the planning and scheduling function.
Key Requirements
- Proven experience in a Production Scheduling or Planning role within a fast-paced manufacturing environment (ideally food, FMCG, or similar regulated sector).
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, formulas, data manipulation).
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar).
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, lead times, and production capacity planning.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to liaise across departments.
- High attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and the ability to adapt to change quickly.
- Ability to work autonomously on a 4 on / 4 off shift pattern, covering both weekdays and weekends as required.
Desirable Qualifications
- Qualification in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field (HNC/HND/Degree preferred).
- Previous experience in food manufacturing or other regulated environments.
- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement methodologies.
At Gleeson Recruitment Group, we embrace inclusivity and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We are proud to be a disability confident employer.
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