Planning Section Head

Job Purpose:

Responsible for supervising the production planning and material planning activities to ensure seamless alignment between customer demand, production capacity, material availability, and delivery commitments. The role ensures that detailed plans are executed accurately, bottlenecks are resolved, and resources are optimally utilized , the Planning Section Head ensures operational continuity, supports decision-making, and contributes to the achievement of departmental and corporate objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

Supervise and validate daily, weekly, and monthly production and material planning activities, ensuring they are aligned with sales forecasts, customer demand, and available capacity.

Lead and mentor planning engineers and specialists by providing technical guidance on production scheduling, materials requirement planning (MRP), and capacity modeling.

Develop and validate Master Production Schedules (MPS) to balance demand, available capacity, lead times, and material availability.

Oversee material requirements planning (MRP runs) in ERP, review system outputs, and resolve exceptions or shortages before they impact operations.

Conduct capacity planning and finite scheduling by analyzing constraints in machines, labor, or tooling; propose reallocation or overtime to resolve bottlenecks.

Align closely with Procurement and Warehouse to secure availability of raw materials, semi-finished goods, and packaging, while monitoring supplier lead times and delivery reliability.

Monitor and control inventory parameters (safety stock, reorder points, minimum/maximum levels) to reduce shortages and minimize excess stock.

Ensure accuracy and integrity of planning data in ERP/MRP systems by reviewing bills of materials (BOMs), routings, lead times, and master data.

Review and track KPIs such as schedule adherence, production plan accuracy, capacity utilization, order fulfillment, and inventory turnover; drive corrective action where gaps are identified.

Conduct scenario analysis and what-if simulations to assess the impact of demand fluctuations, supply delays, or equipment breakdowns; propose alternative plans to minimize risk.

Prepare and present detailed planning reports (capacity utilization dashboards, MRP exception reports, production variance reports) to the Planning Manager and Supply Chain leadership.

Lead root cause analysis of planning and scheduling variances, coordinating cross-functional corrective actions with Production, Quality, Procurement, and Logistics.

Promote continuous improvement by introducing advanced planning tools, automation, lean practices, and digital dashboards to enhance planning accuracy and efficiency.

Ensure compliance with QHSE standards, company policies, and industry best practices in all planning-related activities.

Technical competencies:

Production & Material Requirements Planning (MRP/ERP Systems).

Demand Forecasting & Analysis.

Inventory & Capacity Management.

Scheduling & Resource Optimization.

Reporting & KPI Tracking.

Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis.

Qualification & Education:

Education: Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Supply Chain Management, or Business Administration. Postgraduate studies or certification in Supply Chain/Planning (APICS/CPIM) is an advantage.

Years of Experience: 710 years in planning, production scheduling, or supply chain, with at least 23 years in a supervisory or leadership role within manufacturing.