Planning Specialist

Purpose of the Role:Plan and monitor labour and resource requirements against detailed production plans within a 24/7 production environment. Working closely with the Operations Team, the role ensures appropriate resources and skills are available to support production requirements, minimise production time and costs, and maximise operational efficiency.Key Accountabilities & ResponsibilitiesAnalyse production requirements and prepare mid- to long-term labour and resource plans based on forecast production volumes, capacity and required skill sets.Schedule and monitor labour deployment against production plans, identifying resource constraints, capacity gaps and required corrective actions.Analyse labour availability, worked hours, skill mix and absence trends to evaluate performance against plan and support future production planning decisions.Incorporate resource availability constraints into production planning and scheduling decisions.Prepare operational reports and performance metrics, analysing variances, risks and trends to support production planning and management decision-making.Support process improvement and change initiatives through process mapping, business system testing and troubleshooting where required.Coordinate with Operations and relevant internal and external stakeholders to ensure resource availability is aligned with forecast production requirements.Coordinate operational support requirements where necessary to ensure resource availability is aligned with production plans.Maintain accurate planning data and carry out relevant planning controls to support operational reporting, compliance and continuous improvement.Undertake other relevant duties consistent with the Production Planner role and operational requirements of the Company.Key Skills, Knowledge & QualificationsEssentialThird-level qualification in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business or a related discipline.Strong understanding of supply chain, production planning and resource planning principles within an operational environment.Advanced MS Excel skills, with the ability to analyse operational data, identify trends and support planning decisions.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess production requirements, resource availability and operational constraints.Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage planning activities in a fast-paced production environment.Ability to work effectively with Operations and other cross-functional teams to support production requirements.Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.Competence in business systems, reporting and performance monitoring.Ability to work independently, adapt to changing production requirements and manage competing operational priorities.Ability to support planning requirements within a 24/7 production environment.