Planning Manager (MNC)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end production planning, scheduling and production control function.
• Review customer forecasts, confirmed orders, requested delivery dates and priority requirements.
• Develop monthly, weekly and daily production schedules aligned with customer demand and delivery commitments.
• Convert customer orders into detailed production schedules for each production line, machine and work centre.
• Determine production sequencing and priorities based on capacity, lead time, urgency and customer requirements.
• Manage schedule changes arising from customer demand fluctuations, urgent orders, equipment downtime or production constraints.
• Communicate order status, production progress, schedule changes and potential delivery risks to customers promptly.
• Work closely with customers to manage priorities, delivery expectations and production recovery plans.
• Monitor customer order backlogs and ensure production schedules support committed shipment dates.
• Coordinate with Production to monitor daily output against schedule and address delays or shortfalls.
• Conduct capacity planning and recommend adjustments to manpower, shifts, machines or production loading.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Quality, NPI and Supply Chain teams to ensure production schedules are achievable.
• Lead daily and weekly scheduling meetings to review output, constraints, priorities and customer delivery commitments.
• Develop catch-up and recovery schedules when production falls behind plan.
• Monitor work-in-progress and reschedule production orders to prevent bottlenecks and delivery delays.
• Support new product launches, production ramp-ups, product transfers and engineering changes through effective scheduling.
• Maintain accurate production schedules, lead times, routings, work orders and planning parameters in the ERP system.
• Monitor KPIs, including schedule adherence, output achievement, order backlog, capacity utilisation and on-time delivery.
• Provide regular production and delivery updates to customers, internal stakeholders and senior management.
• Lead and develop the production planning team while improving scheduling accuracy, visibility and customer responsiveness.

About You

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business or a related discipline.
• At least eight years of production planning, scheduling or production control experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum three years of experience managing a production planning team or function.
• Strong hands-on experience in master production scheduling, detailed production scheduling, capacity planning and shop-floor control.
• Proven experience handling customer forecasts, production priorities, order backlogs and delivery commitments.
• Comfortable communicating directly with customers regarding schedules, order status and delivery risks.
• Good understanding of manufacturing processes, production lead times, cycle times, routings and operational constraints.
• Proficient in ERP production planning systems, preferably SAP, and advanced Microsoft Excel.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and schedule-recovery capabilities.
• Able to manage changing customer priorities and multiple production schedules in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication, leadership and cross-functional stakeholder-management skills.