Production Planner

Role overview

The Production Planner will be responsible for organizing the factory’s daily and weekly supply-and-demand planning activities. The role uses the latest sales forecast to build and execute a realistic production plan that supports smooth, uninterrupted delivery of quality finished products to customers.

Key responsibilities

• Work closely with Supply Chain to obtain the most recent forecast and translate it into weekly and monthly production plans, while accounting for plant capacity, operational limits, machine availability, maintenance schedules, and the availability of packaging and raw materials.
• Make sure primary and secondary packaging, raw materials, and other supporting materials such as chemicals and wooden pallets are available on time and stored in the correct areas according to company standards.
• Develop supply plans for third-party products.
• Keep schedule information current on a daily basis, including start and end times, manpower, losses, CIP timings, material sequencing, trials, product switches, changeovers, and minimum/maximum batch sizes.
• Communicate and implement production schedule changes whenever unexpected issues arise.
• Ensure manufacturing orders are raised on time and that backflush reports accurately reflect actual outcomes.
• Monitor and control finished goods inventory within target levels and coordinate with the technical projects team for plant shutdowns and major maintenance activities.
• Handle other planning-related duties as assigned, such as meals demand, solid waste handling, archiving, write-offs, ERP tasks, communication with casual suppliers, maintaining employee legal documents, and preparing additional reports.
• Recruit, train, coach, and manage storekeepers, forklift operators, and workers, and evaluate their performance.
• Apply GMP and GHP standards to maintain a clean, safe workplace that meets health, safety, environmental, and food safety requirements.
• Escalate urgent issues such as stock shortages, delivery delays, and product defects as soon as they occur.
• Take part in daily, weekly, and monthly meetings by presenting plant performance data and KPIs, and prepare weekly and monthly reports while keeping BBP and KPI files updated.
• Work in line with the SADAFCO operating system and contribute to continuous improvement and lean initiatives.

Requirements

• A diploma or bachelor’s degree in business administration or a closely related discipline.
• At least 5 years of relevant planning experience within the FMCG sector.
• Strong working knowledge of MS Office, especially advanced Excel skills.
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, handle multiple responsibilities, and perform well under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Solid ERP knowledge and understanding.
• Strong planning, scheduling, and organizational abilities.
• Good experience in materials handling.
• Very good verbal and written communication skills in English; Arabic is an advantage.
• Familiarity with SKU creation, BOMs, and updating material masters.
• High attention to accuracy.
• A proactive, can-do attitude.

Additional information

Location: Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Employment type: Full-time, onsite

Openings: Not specified

Start date: Not specified

Application deadline: Not specified

Salary/Stipend: Not specified

Other notes: The role includes responsibility for working in a manufacturing environment, supporting planning and inventory controls, and contributing to safety, hygiene, and continuous improvement practices.