Production Planner

The Production Planner is responsible for managing the scheduling and timeliness of the production process to ensure the company meets all deadlines.

Planning, scheduling and coordinating production of the company’s products.
o Generate Production Schedules (weekly, monthly, annual etc.), as required or directed by management,
to meet the requirements of the company’s sales forecast whilst ensuring material and equipment
availability, economic production runs and no out of stock situations;
o Monitor costs to ensure the production process stays within budget.
o Daily reporting (or as required) on the production status and any production issues to management and
the Sales Team.
o Using market forecasts and competitive analysis to anticipate necessary production changes
o Verify all raw and packaging materials to manufacture Production Schedules, discuss shortfalls with
Purchasing on ETA and Sales for supply to orders and share updates and back-up plans with the overall
team.
o Evaluating existing stock, VPGs and contracting manufacturing requirements to create suitable
production plans to ensure the company’s requirements are fulfilled.
o Determine the amount of material, equipment, number of shifts and labour required for production
based on the plan.
o Promptly addressing and resolving production planning issues to minimize delays in production.
o Coordinating production operations in accordance with material, labour, and equipment availability.
o Proposing changes to production schedules to ensure that production deadlines are met and effecting
these changes once proposal is approved by the Production Manager and CPO.
o Promptly communicate changes to current production schedules to the wider team.
o Co-ordinate all materials required contract manufacturing, both internal and offsite.
o Schedule all contract manufacturing requirements to ensure set deadlines are adhered to.
o Plan and prioritize operations to ensure maximum performance and minimum delay, e.g., ensure
scheduled changeovers do affect the production lines, proper sequencing of runs to minimize
changeovers and cleaning.
o Ensure the weekly production schedule and “rollover” schedule is completed, approved and circulated as
per set timelines.
o Ensure material and labour verifications for the upcoming week’s Production Schedule are completed as
per set timelines to ensure operations are not affected.
o Ensure the weekly production schedule includes back-up plans for each production line, details of re-
work to be used, planned downtime for cleaning, planned maintenance, trials and changeovers etc.,
quantities of RCNO to be used daily and details of changeovers and times required.
o Ensures the weekly production plan is approved by the Production Manager and CPO as per set timeline.
o Verifies the quantity of materials required for the upcoming week's production is on CGA's compound.
o Ensures the approved, weekly Production Plan is circulated via email, hard copies provided to the
Production Supervisors and also posted on all production notice boards.
o Meets every morning with the shift Supervisors to for production updates and to confirm lines started up
on schedule.
o Obtain daily output information and submit status report, inclusive but not limited to output per shift
per line, quantity of defects (if any), downtime and quantity of waste generated per shift.
o Compiling weekly and monthly status and performance reports and submitting them to management in a
timely manner.
o Chairing the Weekly Production Schedule meeting, review the previous and present week’s output and
present the upcoming week’s Production plan.
o Take and prepare minutes for Production meetings and forward the minutes to team with 48 hours of the
meeting.
o Recommending viable solutions to increase efficiency and reduce production costs as well as improve
production processes.
o Collaborate with Quality, Warehouse, Production, Sales, Engineering & other staff as required.
o Regularly liaise with Quality to verify re-work the be used in the upcoming week’s plan.
o Based on production requirements, liaise with the Engineering Planner to discuss and recommend down
time within the year for scheduled preventative maintenance.
o Perform administrative functions such as developing and maintaining databases, google sheets,
preparation and distribution of reports as well as development of SOPs as it relates to the duties of the
Production Planner.
o Conforms to all established departmental and company policies, procedures and objectives, GMPs, food
safety and HSE site protocols;
o Be knowledgeable of all production operations, protocols and activities;
o Immediately reports / communicates any non-conformances to the Production Manager;
o Performs other related tasks and responsibilities as required by the Production Manager;
o Undergo any job-related training required by the company;