Production Planner in Watford

Job description

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

Extra information

Status

Closed

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Watford

Type of Contract

Casual / Part Time Jobs

Profession type

Manufacturing / Industrial

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English