Our award-winning company - a leading chilled and frozen food manufacturer - is recruiting for a Production Planner to develop and maintain efficient production schedules to meet customer demand within a fast-paced chilled and frozen food manufacturing environment.
To apply for this role, please visit www.tsfoods.co.uk/careers
Location: Northern Ireland
Department: Operations / Supply Chain
Reports To: Production Manager / Supply Chain Manager
Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent
Role Purpose
The Production Planner is responsible for developing and maintaining efficient production schedules to meet customer demand within a fast-paced chilled and frozen food manufacturing environment. The role also plays a key part in the effective use, maintenance, and ongoing development of the ERP system to support accurate planning, stock control, and operational decision-making. In addition, the role oversees the annual seasonal stock build and the coordinated despatch of this stock during the peak trading period each December.
Key Responsibilities
Production Planning
* Create, issue, and maintain daily and weekly production schedules using ERP- generated sales forecasts, confirmed orders, and capacity constraints.
* Coordinate with Production, Engineering, Technical/QA, Procurement, and Sales teams to manage plan changes and resolve issues promptly.
* Monitor production output through ERP reporting and adjust plans as required to ensure customer orders are fulfilled on time.
* Plan labour allocation and machine utilisation to maximise efficiency and reduce downtime.
* Schedule chilled and frozen production runs, considering shelf life, shift patterns, product segregation and storage capacity.
Seasonal Stock Build & December Despatch Management
* Plan and oversee the annual seasonal stock-build programme within the ERP system, ensuring sufficient production volumes are achieved ahead of peak December demand.
* Coordinate with procurement, production, warehouse, and logistics teams to ensure materials, capacity, and storage requirements are accurately reflected in the system during the stock-build period.1
* Manage the controlled and timely despatch of seasonal stock throughout December using ERP despatch and order management functionality.
* Maintain accurate system-based scheduling, stock visibility, and order tracking to ensure seasonal orders are fulfilled in full and on time.
* Review ERP data following the seasonal period to evaluate performance and recommend system or process improvements for future years.
ERP Systems & Process Development
* Act as a key user of the ERP system for production planning, scheduling, and stock management activities.
* Ensure master data accuracy, including bills of materials, routings, lead times, yields, capacities, and production parameters.
* Identify opportunities to improve planning accuracy, efficiency, and visibility through better use of ERP functionality.
* Support the development, testing, and implementation of ERP enhancements, upgrades, or new modules relevant to planning and supply chain operations.
* Work closely with IT, system providers, and internal stakeholders to resolve ERP-related issues and improve system performance.
* Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for ERP planning processes.
* Provide ERP system support and training to colleagues as required to ensure consistent and effective system use.
Communication & Coordination
* Attend daily and weekly production meetings and provide updates on production schedules, ERP data accuracy, and seasonal stock status.
* Communicate plan changes to production and support teams in real time, ensuring system updates are completed promptly.
* Liaise with Technical/QA regarding specifications, changeovers, and compliance requirements within the ERP framework.
Data Management & Reporting
* Maintain accurate, timely, and reliable planning data within ERP systems.
* Produce routine and seasonal stock-build progress reports using ERP and supporting data tools.
* Review production performance, downtime, variances, and forecast accuracy using system-generated reports.
* Develop and maintain KPI dashboards relating to schedule adherence, throughput, stock levels, and seasonal despatch performance.
Compliance & Standards
* Ensure all planning and system-related activities comply with BRCGS, HACCP, and customer audit requirements.
* Maintain accurate ERP records supporting full traceability and audit readiness.
* Participate in continuous improvement initiatives across planning, systems, and operations.
Experience & Knowledge
* Experience in production planning or scheduling within food manufacturing (chilled/ frozen desirable).
* Strong understanding of capacity planning, workflow, and factory processes.
* Proven experience using ERP systems for production planning, scheduling, and stock control.
* Experience maintaining and improving ERP master data and planning parameters.
* Strong Excel skills and confidence working with large data sets.
* Awareness of BRCGS, HACCP, and food safety requirements.
* Experience managing seasonal production peaks, stock build programmes, or time-sensitive despatch operations (particularly during December).
* Highly organised with excellent attention to detail, particularly in system data accuracy.
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data into actionable plans.
* Ability to work under pressure, particularly during seasonal production and despatch periods.
* Effective communicator across multiple departments and technical levels.
* Confident system user with a continuous improvement mindset.
Qualifications
* 3rd Level qualification in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience)
* Eligibility to work in the UK.
* Experience supporting ERP implementations, upgrades, or system optimisation projects.
* Data analysis, forecasting, or demand planning experience.
* Experience in chilled and frozen production environments.
* Relevant supply chain or planning qualifications (e.g. CIPS, APICS).
* Exposure to lean manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies.
Key Behaviours
* Proactive, with the ability to anticipate production, system, or seasonal challenges.
* Adaptable to fluctuating demand and evolving system requirements.
* Strong sense of ownership and accountability for planning data and outcomes.
* Collaborative and team-focused, with a willingness to support colleagues in system use and process improvement.
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