Production Planner

Location: Hockley, Birmingham, B18 5AY
Salary: £31,000 – £34,000 per annum
Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week, Monday–Friday (30-minute unpaid lunch break; occasional weekend work may be required)
Contract Type: Full time, Permanent

Cleone Foods is home to the well-known Island Delight brand and has built a strong reputation within the food manufacturing sector.

We are committed to producing high-quality products and supporting steady, sustainable growth across our operations.

As part of our team, you will contribute to an environment that values reliability, consistency, and continuous improvement.

We are now recruiting for a Production Planner to assume responsibility for developing and maintaining production and material plans that balance customer service levels with cost efficiency.

The role ensures that production schedules are realistic, aligned with demand forecasts, and supported by accurate inventory and material planning.

You will work closely with purchasing, production, inventory, sales, and distribution teams to support smooth operational performance and timely order fulfilment.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate with purchasing, production, inventory, and sales to minimise downtime and material waste.
• Manage planning risks, adjust orders where appropriate, and share forecasts with suppliers to support material availability.
• Report on obsolete or excess stock and maintain effective communication with production and accounts teams.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives and ensure audit-readiness at all times.
• Source supplies, liaise with suppliers, and negotiate pricing and service terms.
• Interpret operational and sales reports to support forecasting activities.
• Manage the customer portal, providing accurate updates on order status, delays, and stock levels at distribution centres.

As our Production Planner, you will also be responsible for:

• Developing short- and long-term production schedules based on sales forecasts, stock levels, and customer orders.
• Producing weekly and daily manufacturing plans and participate in regular planning meetings.
• Carrying out daily stock audits, analysing inventory across warehouses, and completing required documentation for distribution centres (including chilled and frozen products).
• Managing and minimising waste across all raw materials and finished goods.
• Monitoring performance against order-fill and waste KPIs, capturing and analysing data to drive improvements.
• Ordering raw materials and packaging in line with production needs, negotiating cost and service terms with suppliers.
• Sharing forecasts with suppliers and help resolve any material availability issues.
• Liaising with internal and external transport and distribution teams to maintain customer service levels.
• Managing customer communication via the customer portal, including order updates, delays, and stock levels.
• Working closely with Production, Quality Assurance, Warehouse, Sales, and Technical teams to support operational flow.
• Assisting with the introduction of new customer-requested product lines.

In order to be successful in this role you must have:

• Minimum 1 year experience in a planning environment, ideally within FMCG.
• Experience ordering materials and managing inventory.
• Proven track record in planning and forecasting.
• Experience liaising with customers and suppliers.
• Experience working with Sage and EDI systems.
• Experience monitoring stock levels to meet order requirements and reduce waste.
• Strong organisational and time-management capability.

It would be great if you had:

• Understanding of supply chains within the food industry.
• Knowledge of HACCP and food safety principles.
• Experience working with temperature-controlled products with varied shelf life.
• Experience producing daily/weekly production plans.
• Experience using customer portals.

What We Offer

At Cleone Foods, we are committed to supporting our employees and offering a positive working environment. Benefits include: Competitive salary, 24 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, Pension scheme contributions, Staff discounts on our Island Delight product range, Staff Tester Card – access to discounts across food, clothing, cinema, and major retailers, Free on-site parking, Opportunities for learning, development, and progression, A supportive and inclusive culture and being part of a business with strong heritage and continued growth plans!

If you feel you have the necessary skills and experience to be successful in this role click on “APPLY” today!

No agencies please.