Talent Solutions

A search and selection consultancy specialising in the permanent and interim recruitment of professionals supporting companies’ change initiatives and the drive towards continuous improvement.

Head of Planning

Posted 17.04.26

Scientific

Bristol

Permanent

Basic salary £60-75K + excellent benefits

Head of Planning

Location: Bristol (Commutable from Bristol, Newport, and Gloucester) Position: Permanent, Full-Time

The Opportunity

Are you a visionary operations leader ready to shape the future of a global high-tech manufacturing site? We are seeking a Head of Planning to join our client's senior leadership team at their state-of-the-art facility in Bristol.

In this pivotal role, you will act as the functional architect for our planning ecosystem. You won’t just manage a process; you will refine and evolve their Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) strategy to support sustainable, large-scale growth. If you thrive on bridging the gap between high-level business strategy and shop-floor excellence, this is your next career milestone.

Core Responsibilities

As a key member of the Operations Management Team, your influence will span the entire production lifecycle:

  • Strategic Leadership: Devising and implementing planning frameworks that align with annual budgets and long-term delivery targets.

  • Operational Excellence: Overseeing the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and daily planning activities to ensure 100% reliability in a complex, low-volume/high-complexity manufacturing environment.

  • Capacity & Demand Intelligence: Leading cross-functional capacity planning (labour, tooling, materials) and utilizing advanced forecasting to mitigate constraints before they impact the customer.

  • Inventory & Supply Integration: Managing inventory policies for raw materials and WIP, working in lockstep with the Head of Supply Chain to optimize cash flow and material availability.

  • Continuous Improvement: Championing Lean methodologies and ERP/MRP data integrity to eliminate waste and drive digital transformation within our planning systems.

  • Team Development: Mentoring and coaching a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, and building a robust talent pipeline.

Your Profile

  • Expertise: Deep technical mastery of MRP II principles and ERP systems (e.g., SAP).

  • Education: A degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent high-level industry experience. Professional certifications (APICS, CPIM/CSCP, or Lean Six Sigma) are highly regarded.

  • Analytical Mindset: You interpret complex data sets to make decisive, data-driven recommendations.

  • Collaborative Influence: A natural ability to interface with Sales, Engineering, and Quality teams to align diverse priorities under a single business objective.

  • Resilience: Experience navigating the challenges of global supply chains and identifying mitigating actions for material shortages or shifting demand.

About the Company

Our client is a leading global provider of high-precision engineering solutions. 

The Rewards

They offer a culture that values work-life balance as much as technical innovation.

  • Competitive Salary & Performance Incentives

  • Work-Life Balance: Early finish every Friday.

  • Health & Wellbeing: Private healthcare and comprehensive wellness support.

  • Future Security: Defined contribution pension scheme and share incentive plans.

  • Generous Leave: 25 days annual holiday plus public holidays.

  • Growth: Structured career development within a global parent organisation.

Are you ready to lead a planning evolution? Apply today to join a team where your expertise directly impacts the future of global technology.

Why Kaizen

We have developed a track record over more than a decade in recruiting senior executive and mid-level business leaders that operate across many related sectors. These include manufacturing, consumer, logistics, utilities and professional services.

Latest Positions

We are committed to continually searching for the the highest calibre of people committed to fill our executive roles. Sometimes we work with clients to recruit to positions they do not want to be advertised, so please contact us to find out about other placements we have available.

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