Production Planner
Also advertised as: leather materials planner, leather orders planner, leather production control planner, leather production planner and scheduler, leather production planners, leather production scheduler
Schedules manufacturing activity so materials, machines and people are ready when needed.
What the job involves
Production planners work out the order in which jobs run through a factory, balancing customer deadlines against machine capacity and material availability. You liaise constantly with production, purchasing and sales teams to adjust plans when things change. It is a role built on organisation and clear communication rather than technical design.
Typical responsibilities
- Build and maintain production schedules
- Balance capacity against customer demand
- Coordinate with purchasing on material availability
- Adjust plans in response to delays or breakdowns
- Report on production performance against plan
Common employers
- Manufacturing companies
- Food and drink producers
- Automotive suppliers
- Electronics assemblers
- Contract manufacturers
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£23,000 – £28,000 a year
With experience
£32,000 – £42,000 a year
Typical hours
37-40 hours
Working environment
Office based, close to the production floor
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Production planning software (ERP/MRP)
- Scheduling and prioritisation
- Data analysis
- Stakeholder communication
- Problem solving under pressure
Transferable skills you may already have
- Organisation and prioritisation
- Working under changing demands
- Cross-team coordination
Requirements employers ask for
- Production planning software (ERP/MRP)
- Scheduling and prioritisation
- Data analysis
- Stakeholder communication
- Problem solving under pressure
- No formal qualification required; experience in manufacturing or logistics is valued
- schedule production
- identify with the company's goals
- manage supplies
- create solutions to problems
- negotiate with stakeholders
- meet deadlines
- think analytically
- exert a goal-oriented leadership role towards colleagues
- manage quality of leather throughout the production process
- work in textile manufacturing teams
- health and safety in the workplace
- liaise with colleagues
Useful but not essential
- Organisation and prioritisation
- Working under changing demands
- Cross-team coordination
- Level 3 or 4 qualification in supply chain or operations management
- functionalities of machinery
- manage staff
- physico-chemical properties of crust leather
- purchase raw material supplies
- identify defects on raw hides
- manage environmental impact of operations
- leather technology
- monitor operations in the leather industry
Helpful qualifications
- Level 3 or 4 qualification in supply chain or operations management
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Supply Chain Practitioner (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Business studies
- Related subject: Mathematics
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Production Planner
next
Supply Chain Manager
next
Operations Manager
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Accessible entry route without a degree
- Central role that touches every department
- Transferable into wider supply chain careers
What people find hard
- Plans change constantly and require quick rework
- Can be blamed when schedules slip for reasons outside your control
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a production planner?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a production planner earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £23,000 to £28,000 a year, rising towards £42,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Organisation and prioritisation, Working under changing demands, Cross-team coordination.
Related careers
Process Engineer
Designs and optimises industrial processes such as chemical, food or pharmaceutical production.
Manufacturing Engineer
Designs and improves the processes used to build products on a production line.
Quality Inspector
Checks parts and products against specifications to catch defects before they reach customers.
Machine Operator
Sets up and runs production machinery to manufacture parts or products.
Toolmaker
Makes and repairs the precision tools, jigs and moulds used in manufacturing.
Fabricator
Cuts, shapes and assembles metal components into structures and products.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 16 September 2026.
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