Planning Manager

Natures Aid

Preston - PR4 2DQ 

Hybrid Role - Minimum of 3 days in the office, 2 from home

We’re recruiting for a Planning Manager to come in and oversee our planning team. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to progress in their career in Planning and has some previous people management or leadership experience.

In the role your main responsibility will be to manage the formulation of the manufacturing and packing schedules in line with sales forecasts ensuring that the optimum level of stock is maintained, and Standard Operating Procedures and good Manufacturing principles are followed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the site production plan to deliver the most cost effective and efficient manufacturing plan working with key stakeholders to deliver in line with key metrics such as line capacity, on time in full, out of stock and inventory
• Responsible for reviewing and adjusting supply and demand forecasts in line with sales forecasts to ensure stock levels are maintained
• Responsible for a small team, carrying out people management activities such as 1 to 1’s, performance reviews and reviewing workloads, absence management, etc.
• Manage all key relationships positively influencing outcomes by being data led, fact based, consistent and doing this in manner which role models a teamwork approach  
• Oversee, plan and monitor stock levels to ensure stock is maintained at an agreed level and value, and take action to achieve the required stock levels as appropriate
• Operate and maintain the planning system software in use for the manufacture and packing of bulk and finished goods, providing reports to various stakeholders when required.
• Calculate material requirements and communicate these to Buying so that they can be purchased at least 3 months in advance
• Forecast and produce short, medium, and long term utilisation figures for all packing and manufacturing equipment.
• Use data and analysis to positively influence outcomes, drive performance and deliver to target

About us:

Natures Aid, part of the STADA Group, was established in 1981 and is a leading UK manufacturer of Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements to health food stores, pharmacies, and groceries, with over 190 products throughout 15 main health categories. Due to a continued period of substantial growth both in the UK and Internationally, Natures Aid is one of the top 5 leading UK supplements brands, with ambitious plans to continue to grow ahead of the category, through its award-winning innovation programme.

The STADA Group is a leading manufacturer of high-quality pharmaceuticals and are represented in more than 30 countries worldwide with its headquarters in Bad Vilbel, Germany.

What you’ll need to succeed in the role:

At STADA we talk about diversity as Uniqueness. Everyone is unique and we recognise our differences as a strength. Our values Entrepreneurship, Integrity, Agility and One STADA ensure our uniqueness thrives, enabling us to care for people's health as a trusted partner. Empower your Uniqueness, bring your whole self to STADA. If you're keen to add value and see results, thrive in a busy fast paced environment and have the can-do spirit that's spearheading our success, bring those qualities, with the following:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a similar planning, supply management role
• Self-starter to help drive the planning function forward
• Previous people management/ leadership experience
• Proficiency in Planning software - Microsoft Dynamics would be advantageous
• Strong ability to analyse data and trends for strategic planning.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including, strong stakeholder management skills
• Ability to identify issues quickly and develop effective solutions. - desirable
• Capable of adjusting to new challenges and changes in business environments - desirable
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail -- desirable

What's in it for you?

Rewarding our employees is important to us, which is why we offer a range of fantastic benefits, such as:

• Hybrid working, minimum of 3 days in the office, 2 from home per week
• 5% Shot Term Incentive (STI) performance based bonus
• 23.5 days holiday, increasing to 28.5 days over the first 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase up to 5 days additional Annual Leave
• 6% employers pension contributions
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme Option
• Annual Pay Reviews
• Enhanced family friendly leave and pay
• Length of Service Awards
• 50% Employee Discount on Natures Aid products
• Access to hundreds of free E-Learning courses on our in-house Learning platform
• Free onsite parking
• We promote good physical and mental health and can provide additional support to our employees via our Employee Assistance Programmes all year round.