Planning Manager – Cambridge Technical Recruitment

Key Responsibilities

Drive end-to-end planning and procurement to meet production and customer needs
Develop manufacturing and stock strategies aligned with operational capacity
Manage product life cycles – from launches and engineering updates to phase-outs
Lead and mentor production planners to ensure delivery of customer KPIs
Maintain optimal stock levels to meet demand
Oversee product transitions to minimise waste and risk
Support launches with pilot builds, ramp-up plans, and go-to-market execution
Implement engineering changes without disrupting workflow
Apply category code management for stock at risk of obsolescence
Develop capacity and pre-build plans to reduce bottlenecks
Build and maintain supplier relationships for supply continuity
Sign off on production plans
Grow and develop the planning and procurement team via performance reviews
Collaborate with commercial teams to manage availability and customer expectations

Proven experience as a Planning Manager in a manufacturing or planning environment
Strong background in stock control and working to stock targets
Team management and development experience
Excellent problem-solving skills and a record of implementing improvements
Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple projects
Outstanding communication skills, confident engaging across all levels
Strong commercial awareness