Lead Production Planner

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

JOB SUMMARY

The Lead Production Planner owns the short- to medium-term production plan for the North American operation, balancing customer service, inventory, capacity, labor, and cost so demand changes and supply risks are caught and communicated early. The role leads the Production Planning Team and partners with the Global Demand and Planning Manager and cross-functional teams to strengthen S&OP and drive planning improvements.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Production planning and scheduling
• Lead North American production planning and maintain executable short- to medium-term production plans that balance customer priorities, inventory targets, capacity, labor, and operational efficiency.
• Translate demand forecasts, customer orders, inventory positions, and production constraints into clear manufacturing schedules and resource requirements.
• Monitor work orders through each stage of execution, identify deviations from plan, and coordinate corrective action to support on-time, in-full delivery.
• Analyze product, process, routing, and bill-of-material data to determine manufacturing requirements and identify opportunities to reduce lead times.

Inventory and capacity management

• Develop and maintain capacity plans, demand profiles, and scenarios to identify short-, medium-, and long-term constraints.
• Optimize inventory across work in progress, pre-pack, finished goods, contract stock, and help drive raw material availability through MRP.
• Monitor aged, excess, and at-risk inventory and work with relevant functions to agree corrective actions.
• Align resource plans with forecast demand and operational capability to support effective capacity and labor utilization.

Customer service and risk management

• Monitor customer order status, lead-time requests, and service-level performance, escalating risks and coordinating recovery plans where required.
• Identify supply-chain risks that may affect customer service, inventory, capacity, or cost, and communicate clear options and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Balance commercial requirements with operational constraints and support timely, evidence-based prioritization decisions.

Systems, data, and reporting

• Ensure ERP, MRP, and other planning tools are used consistently to maintain accurate demand, inventory, scheduling, and capacity information.
• Produce and interpret planning reports, dashboards, and performance measures to support operational and management decisions.

People leadership

Leads the Production Planning Team in line with Treatt’s Lead On people leader standards.

• Set clear direction and structure so each planner knows how their role and goals connect to the plan, who owns what, and how decisions get made; keep the right people in the right roles, and say so when that’s not the case.
• Own team staffing and coverage, including hiring and selection, onboarding and training, work assignments, time-off approvals, and backup planning so every planning area stays covered.
• Spot where the team is stuck, help solve what they can’t, and make decisions with pace using the information available; give context, not just instructions, and invite challenge.
• Manage performance with rigor and honesty through regular one-on-ones and at least quarterly reviews of objectives, progress, and KPIs; give timely, honest feedback so performance is never a surprise, and partner with HR on documentation, corrective action, and employee relations matters.
• Grow and recognize the team by knowing each planner’s strengths and ambitions, building development plans and cross-training, and recognizing progress, effort, and results.
• Communicate priorities and progress against plan regularly, and lead by example by modeling Treatt values, safety expectations, and company policy, especially when it’s inconvenient.

S&OP and cross-functional collaboration

• Represent production planning in the S&OP process, providing clear insight into capacity, inventory, service, constraints, risks, and mitigation options.
• Build trusted cross-functional partnerships to align supply and demand plans, explaining planning implications clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
• Support the development of demand-planning and S&OP capability, including improved data, processes, measures, and decision-making routines.

Continuous improvement and compliance

• Maintain planning procedures, master-data disciplines, and standardized ways of working, reviewing them against performance measures to identify and implement improvements.
• Challenge inefficient practices constructively and lead initiatives that improve service, inventory, lead time, productivity, and cost.
• Promote compliance with employee health and safety, food-safety, quality, and applicable operational procedures within the Planning function.
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the scope and level of the role. 

EDUCATION & TRAINING

• Required
• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent qualification.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree or professional qualification in supply chain, operations, business, engineering, or a related discipline.

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Essential experience and knowledge
• Five to seven years of progressive production, supply, or materials planning experience in a manufacturing environment, including at least two years supervising or leading a team, with responsibility for assigning work, coaching, and managing performance.
• Strong working knowledge of production scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity planning, inventory management, and supply and demand balancing.
• Demonstrated experience using ERP and MRP systems to maintain plans and support operational decisions.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel capability and experience extracting, analyzing, and presenting high-volume operational data.
• Experience assessing planning risks, evaluating the business impact of schedule changes, and making timely recommendations in a changing operational environment.
• Proven ability to communicate complex planning issues clearly and influence stakeholders across functions and levels, including senior leadership.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and prioritization skills, with consistent attention to detail and deadlines.
• Experience improving planning processes, standardizing ways of working, and using performance measures to drive action.

Preferred experience and knowledge

• Experience using JD Edwards, SAP, or a comparable enterprise planning system.
• Experience contributing to an established S&OP process and working with forecasting or demand-planning teams.
• Experience in a complex, high-SKU, batch-manufacturing, FMCG, chemical, or Flavor and Fragrance environment.
• Knowledge of inventory-risk management, and continuous-improvement principles. 

SKILLS & VALUES 

• • Planning and organization: Manages competing priorities, plans work effectively and delivers accurate outputs within agreed deadlines.
• Communication and collaboration: Communicates complex planning information clearly in written, verbal, and visual formats; builds trust across functions, listens to different perspectives, and adapts messages for operational and senior stakeholders.
• Analytical thinking and continuous improvement: Uses data, operational knowledge, and sound judgment to identify root causes and recommend practical solutions; questions inefficient practices respectfully and follows improvements through to implementation.
• Integrity and accountability: Acts impartially, protects confidential information, takes ownership of commitments, and makes decisions consistent with company standards and business needs.
• Leadership and development: Leads in line with Treatt’s Lead On standards; sets clear direction, gives context and honest feedback, makes performance a normal conversation, and invests in each person’s growth.
• Adaptability and resilience: Remains effective when priorities change, responds calmly to operational pressure, and maintains focus on the most important business outcomes.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Environment: Open office – typical spacious room, desks close together.
• Physical Factors: Mainly desk-based, sitting and / or standing (your choice) for long periods of time during the course of the day with high levels of computer usage.
• Travel: None required.