Position: Production Planner / Buyer

Salary: £38,000 - £44,000

Location: Milton Keynes

Production Planner / Buyer required. Our client is a well-established manufacturing business specialising in sheet metalwork, fabrication and subcontract manufacturing, seeking a proactive and commercially minded Production Planner / Buyer to join the team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced manufacturing professional to take ownership of production planning, material purchasing and supplier management within a busy subcontract manufacturing environment. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring materials are available, production runs efficiently and customer orders are delivered on time.

Production Planner / Buyer Position Overview

• Purchasing sheet metal, components, fixings and consumables to meet production requirements while controlling costs and stock levels.
• Supporting quality investigations, audits, corrective actions and the development of quality Planning and scheduling manufacturing jobs, balancing customer delivery dates with machine capacity, labour availability and material lead times.
• Obtaining supplier quotations, placing purchase orders, negotiating pricing and lead times, and maintaining strong supplier relationships.
• Coordinating subcontract processes, including machining, plating and other specialist finishing operations.
• Monitoring work in progress, identifying potential bottlenecks and proactively resolving issues that could affect production schedules and delivery dates.
• Expediting outstanding materials and subcontract work to ensure jobs progress through the factory without unnecessary delays.
• Working closely with Production, Sales, Engineering and external suppliers to maintain accurate schedules and provide reliable delivery information.
• Reading and interpreting engineering drawings to identify material, component and manufacturing requirements.
• Identifying opportunities to improve production flow, reduce lead times, minimise material waste and improve on-time delivery.
• Taking ownership of jobs from start to finish, ensuring production and purchasing activities remain aligned with customer requirements.

Production Planner / Buyer Position Requirements

• Previous experience in production planning and purchasing within a manufacturing environment.
• Ideally, a background in sheet metalwork, fabrication or engineering subcontract manufacturing.
• A good understanding of manufacturing processes, including laser cutting, CNC folding, welding, fabrication and assembly.
• Experience purchasing sheet materials and managing supplier and subcontractor lead times.
• The ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and understand material and component requirements.
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to liaise with production teams, suppliers and other departments.
• A commercially aware approach to purchasing, with an understanding of cost control, stock management and delivery performance.
• A proactive, practical approach to problem-solving, with a strong sense of ownership and a focus on continuous improvement.

Production Planner / Buyer Position Remuneration

• Salary of £38,000 - £44,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Full-time, permanent position.
• 40-hour working week.
• Opportunity to join an established manufacturing business with a supportive and team-focused working environment.

Bennett and Game Recruitment are a multi-disciplined technical recruitment agency based in Chichester, West Sussex operating across the UK with specialist teams covering a range of industries.

We are acting as a Recruitment Agency in relation to this vacancy, and in accordance with GDPR by applying you are granting us consent to process your data, contact you about the services we offer, and submit your CV for the role you have applied for.