A global manufacturing company in Greater Manchester is seeking a Production Planning Manager to join them on a permanent basis. The primary responsibilities of the position will be to manage the production planning team and to drive improvements to production capacity and reductions in customer order times. Reporting to the Supply Chain Manager key tasks include: Responsible for managing and developing the Production Planning team (3 direct reports) Evaluate the existing processes within production planning to look for opportunities to drive efficiencies Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and streamline processes Overseeing the planning of production using IFS – liaising with external suppliers and internal stakeholders (Purchasing/Production/Logistics) Ensuring that a good quality service is provided and that all products meet the ISO 9001 standard. The position is full time - Monday to Friday, 35 hour week. Flexible start and finish times are also on offer as well as up to 1 day from home. As well as salary this position comes with 4 x salary life assurance, annual bonus, 26 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays), match pension scheme and single medical health care. To be considered for the position candidates will have proven management/supervisory experience within a Production Planning function. Ideally you will have within a fast-paced and/or highly regulated manufacturing environment. Experience using an ERP/MRP system is essential as are strong MS Excel skills. You will need excellent communication skills both verbally and written as well as proficient IT skills. A formal technical or business qualification would be an advantage