AddressSite Planning Lead
Macclesfield, UK
About the role
Sourcing and Supply within UK Operations manages the material flow through the factory, enabling our packaging and processing areas to produce stock for customer orders. Post manufacture, the department also manages all product storage and shipment to over 100 countries globally. Divided into a number of departments, the function plans all aspects of the manufacturing process, liaising closely with our procurement team, inbound and outbound warehouses, line support teams and customer and distributor liaison. It is therefore vital that systems are managed and controlled in an efficient and cost effective manner.
The Site Planning Lead , reporting into the Head of Sourcing & Supply is a member of Sourcing and Supply Leadership team, and drives the supply strategy within their sphere influence with UK Ops, and colleagues in the Global functions.
The Site Supply Planning Lead is responsible for the definition and design of the End to End supply chain on site for either the Zoladex brand and flow or products manufactured by PET Packing at UK Operations. Evaluation of demand/supply scenarios, risk management implications and performance choices with associated costs, including cost of goods sold, are part of the accountabilities.
The Site Planning Lead manages a team of Production Planners and Capacity Manager(s). There may also be other technical planning roles in the team to support the Site Planning process.
The team is responsible for creating & maintaining an optimised executable production schedule for the frozen and firm horizon at the most detailed process step level. Manage master data to ensure accurate capacity planning and lead times for assigned assets. Monitor closely actual production status for the resources in scope, monitor plan adherence (production, QC, QA & Logistics.) Identify and address potential short-term supply constraints and delays. (equipment capacity, labour, materials, etc.) Collaborate with global planning and site functions to ensure both excellent customer service and efficient production.
Each Planner holds responsibility for a small portfolio of production lines/areas, therefore building relationships with the Line Production Team Leaders and associated operators is vital to ensure success. There is also significant responsibility placed upon planners to ensure plans are communicated with the NSP:s, as well as the inbound procurement and warehouse teams.
Success in the Site Planning Led role relies on collaboration, project & stakeholder management & leadership capabilities developed through academia and learnings/experiences leading local & global team including the team of supply chain professionals.
The role of the Site Planning Lead is to ensure the Planners identify optimum planning sequences and scenarios to ensure customers are supplied with product in a cost and time effective manner. Customer service needs to be balanced at all times with Quality and Cost.
- Accountable for an Optimized Production Schedule for given assets and the execution of the plan.
- Accountable for maintaining the site wall to wall synchronization and maintenance of Capacity Master data.
- Point of escalation for Global Planning Team and leads the site input in the Global Supply trade-off decisions.
- Represents Sourcing & Supply in the PET leadership team. Develop Collaborative relationships with all key stakeholders, to ensure the smooth flow of information, materials and manufacturing plans, allowing the assets to focus on manufacture as efficiently and effectively as possible.
- Lead, maintain and develop a high level of planning expertise based on the latest SAP enhancements, global planning initiatives and continuous professional development. Contributes to, succession Planning by creating a pool of future potential Planners.
- Represents the Site at Global/Regional Network forums, and ensure that the Planning Team are fulfilling the expectations of Global Supply Chain as well as contributing pro-active improvements / ways of working / and the development of processes that other sites may benefit from.
- Accountable for integrity and accuracy for relevant master data in SAP ECC for the assigned assets and associated products and is aligned to the Global standard format.
- Role models compliance with and improvement of global standard ways of working, along with root cause analysis to fully understand compliance failures and the implementation of steps to prevent recurrence.
Overall Fit
Optimising the supply chain demands an entrepreneurial mindset, and the agility to successfully navigate change and complexity.
The activities and responsibilities in this job will offer job satisfaction for those individuals who enjoy the following:
An action oriented environment where your contribution is highly visible and impactful
Leading teams through ambiguity and challenge
Working as part of a matrix organisation, driving your individual performance and leading and developing others
Working with a range of technical systems
Clear visibility of the customer
Essential Experience
Success in this role will be determined by a measurable increase in the effectiveness of the S&OP processes in UK Operations. In order to achieve these, the ideal candidate would possess the following:
Degree or equivalent in Business, Logistics, Sciences or Engineering.
Relevant Experience from complex Supply Chain Environment (Manufacturing, Planning)
Advanced supply chain (capacity and planning) planning skills
People management experience
Experience in collaboration with the key interfaces within a global end to end supply chain, with manufacturing and in Supply chain.
Digital savvy ( data & system minded)
Understanding of supply chain planning parameters, master data and master data integrity & quality.
Proficient in using key Lean Tools
Partnering and Collaboration - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and collaboration among stakeholders. Building strong relationships with site operations management and Global Planning Team.
Collaborative problem solver- understanding the overall network supply and demand dynamics, able to define the required options to assess feasibility and trade-offs of proven and unproven proposals
Proactive mindset -- Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems early in the process by identifying root cause and implementing corrective and preventative actions
Strong Communicator & Influencer - confident in presenting to and communicating with stakeholders and peers at all levels of the organization in an efficient and effective way in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Adaptable and resilient
Desirable Experience
Post graduate and/or relevant extracurricular activities
An Understanding of Pharmaceutical GMP principles are an advantage
APICS / CSCP or equivalent certification
Lean / Six Sigma
Project Management
Understanding of and contributing to an S&OP process.
Leadership experience
When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.
At AstraZeneca, we pioneer new approaches and processes across our sites, empowering our teams to foster a Lean mindset and sustainable practices. Every change we make is to deliver better outcomes for our patients. Our manufacturing sites are environments of constant and rapid change. It's a place to expect the unexpected. There's rarely an obvious answer to the varied challenges we face, so it takes adaptability, flexibility, and patience to thrive here.
Are you ready to be challenged in your everyday work? Do you have the drive and determination to overcome barriers and make things happen? If so, apply now and join us in making a difference!
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.
