Production Planner
22 hours ago
Watford
PRODUCTION PLANNER COMPANY OVERVIEW Designer Parfums is a fast-growing, dynamic global fragrance company in the perfume & cosmetics industry, with a UK base in London and international ambition, with active business in around 70 markets. We are a small family-owned business, and we are proud to create, develop, and distribute brands from a fantastic portfolio of heritage classics to celebrity trend-led fragrances. We are brand owners and licensees for GHOST, JENNIFER LOPEZ, HAWAIIAN TROPIC, CERRUTI, PLAYBOY & JEAN LOUIS SCHERRER, and proud to be distributors for ARIANA GRANDE, GUY LAROCHE, PILOMA PICASSO, AIGNER & GANT. JOB PURPOSE Designer Parfums (DP) is seeking a highly skilled Production Planner to take full ownership of end-to-end production and materials planning for an assigned portfolio of brands. This role is responsible for ensuring the timely, cost-effective, and quality-driven execution of production plans—ensuring all finished goods, components, and materials are available in line with commercial requirements, customer demand, and launch calendars. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Production & Material Planning • Develop, execute, and maintain detailed production plans aligned with demand forecasts, commercial priorities, and inventory strategies., • Coordinate production schedules with manufacturers and contract fillers, ensuring adherence to agreed timelines and service levels., • Create and launch new SKUs and Bills of Materials (BOMs) to support innovation projects and new product launches—ensuring complete master data accuracy., • Manage production planning for additional allocated brands as required. Supplier & Manufacturing Partner Management • Own the operational relationship with key suppliers, contract manufacturers, and fillers—driving performance, communication, and issue resolution., • Ensure all partners meet production commitments, quality specifications, and on-time delivery targets for both components and finished goods., • Conduct regular stock reconciliations with contract fillers and drive corrective actions for discrepancies. Inventory, Availability & Risk Management • Monitor inventory health and drive initiatives to optimise stock holding, reduce obsolescence, and support financial and operational targets., • Proactively identify and report potential out-of-stock (OOS) risks, proposing mitigation strategies to protect customer service levels., • Maintain responsibility for stock availability, intake management, and sales forecast support—providing regular updates and insights to the Brand and Commercial teams. Systems, Data & Process Ownership • Create and maintain Purchase Orders (POs) and Production Orders (PVs) in SAP, ensuring master data and transactional accuracy., • Lead Netstock implementation for your brand and maintain full ownership of stock management within Netstock, including parameter setup, replenishment policies, exception management, and reporting., • Champion data integrity across SAP and Netstock to ensure reliable planning outputs., • Process and approve supplier invoices in accordance with finance controls., • Contribute to the development of supply chain digital tools and enhancements, ensuring systems align with operational best practices., • Drive continuous improvement initiatives aimed at efficiency, process optimisation, and enhanced planning visibility. Cross-Functional Collaboration • Act as a key liaison across Marketing, NPD, Demand Planning, Logistics, Procurement, QC, Master Data, Customer Service, Finance, and the China Supply Team., • Provide operational support for launches, supply reviews, and business planning cycles., • Ensure technical, regulatory, and quality standards are consistently upheld across suppliers and internal stakeholders. Operational KPIs: • Deliver and continuously improve:, • OTIF (On-Time In-Full), • Inventory on hand, • Production Plan Adherence, • Customer Service Level, • Cost Savings & Efficiency Gains, • Quality & Compliance Metrics REQUIREMENTS • Proficiency with ERP systems such as SAP or Netstock, • Experience with production planning, inventory management, and quality control activities., • Excellent with MS Excel for data visualisation, analysis, and reports, • Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP): Experience with MRP and MPS systems is often required., • Knowledge of the Manufacturing processes and principles, • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify and eliminate production bottlenecks., • Excellent written and verbal communication skills to liaise with different departments, suppliers, and manufacturers, • Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage priorities and deadlines effectively., • Ability to use data and forecasting to make informed decisions., • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team, • Degree beneficial but not essential