Maintenance Planner

Maintenance PlannerSynthomer is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and publicly listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our 5 innovation centres of excellence and more than 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products.The Maintenance Planner plays a critical role in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the Synthomer Jefferson Hills facility. This position is responsible for planning, coordinating, and scheduling maintenance activities to maximize equipment uptime, minimize disruptions to operations, and support long-term asset reliability. The Maintenance Planner works closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Contractors, and Supply Chain to ensure all maintenance work is properly scoped, planned, estimated, and executed.Key ResponsibilitiesWork Identification & ScopingReview work requests/notifications and clarify scope with requestors and operations personnel.Conduct field assessments to determine job requirements, equipment condition, and potential work hazards.Define job steps, resource needs, and required skills for each maintenance task.Planning & PreparationDevelop detailed job plans including labor requirements, materials, tools, equipment, permits, safety precautions, and job sequences.Ensure all parts and materials are ordered, staged, and available prior to scheduling work.Create cost estimates for maintenance jobs to support budgeting and tracking.Identify opportunities to bundle work to improve efficiency during unit downtime or outages.Scheduling & CoordinationWork closely with the Maintenance Scheduler to prioritize, plan, and schedule weekly/long-range maintenance activities.Coordinate with Operations to align maintenance schedules with production needs and ensure safe access to equipment.Communicate upcoming work requirements to Operations, Maintenance, and support groups in a timely manner.Contractor & Vendor InterfaceSupport development of contractor scopes of work for planned maintenance activities.Ensure contractors are aware of required materials, drawings, specifications, and site expectations prior to arriving on-site.Collaborate with Procurement and vendors to ensure timely delivery of needed parts or services.Safety & ComplianceEnsure all planned jobs include proper safety considerations, permits, and regulatory requirements.Participate in pre-job hazard assessments and assist in developing job-specific safety plans.Maintain compliance with site procedures, environmental requirements, and Synthomer safety standards.Continuous Improvement & DocumentationMaintain accurate and detailed job plans in the CMMS for future reuse and improvement.Analyze completed work orders for quality of planning and identify opportunities to increase efficiency or reduce downtime.Work with Maintenance and Engineering to improve preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.Track maintenance KPIs such as schedule compliance, wrench time, backlog levels, and planning accuracy.QualificationsExperience in maintenance planning in a chemical plant or industrial manufacturing environmentStrong mechanical/electrical knowledge and ability to read engineering drawingsProficiency with CMMS systems (SAP, Maximo, or similar)Strong communication and coordination skills across multiple departmentsAbility to prioritize workload in a fast-paced production environmentGlobal Benefits OverviewCompetitive, market-aligned compensationDiscretionary global bonus schemeDiscretionary Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – for senior positionsCompany car or car allowance – varies by region and roleHealthcare – tailored to regional locationsParental leave and family support – maternity, paternity, adoption (aligned with regional policies)Working options – flexibility where it matters, based on role and business needsLearning & development opportunities – training, online platforms, buddy/mentorship programs, Internal Synthomer University with L&D offersWellbeing support – employee assistance program (EAP), mental health resources, wellbeing initiativesRetirement / pension contributions – plans vary by countryCulture of Inclusion – where everyone can thrivePerformance culture, global reward & recognition programmes