Job Description

Lead Planner
We rise to challenges together
Salary: Competitive
Location: Spalding
Ways of Working: Site Based
Shift: Monday-Friday, 08.30-17.00
Contract Type: Permanent
Benefits: Highly competitive rewards package, life assurance, and excellent career progression prospects across the Bakkavor group
Why join us?
We're ready for anything. We thrive on challenge and change. The undeniable pressure and pace of our 24/7 operation keeps us on our toes and offers a variety of career pathways and options to explore and pursue. We encourage everyone to work hard, push further and show resilience. And it's exciting. Because only by mentoring and role modelling our success and innovation, will we continue to diversify, grow as individuals and succeed together.
What we do.
This fantastic opportunity will be based at our Bakkavor Spalding site, which employs over 1,470 people across 3 manufacturing facilities & 1 Distribution Centre. We specialise in making hand crafted sandwich wraps, salads, dips, soups & sauces and mayonnaise.
About the role.
The primary purpose of this role is to lead production planning across Bakkavor's Spalding facilities, ensuring customer deliveries are met on time and in full. The role is also responsible for monitoring factory efficiency, minimising waste and disposal costs, and driving continuous improvement. A key focus will be on reviewing and enhancing systems and processes to improve departmental performance against key KPIs.
Accountabilities:

• Produce a statistical sales forecast with a 4-week horizon in daily and product detail. To use appropriate business weather information and historical sales analysis to aid this process. To include all launches, promotions, events, product changes and de-lists.

• To develop & maintain Planning systems (including reports and spreadsheets), reviewing and improving them through benchmarking vs. Bakkavor & industry alternatives.

• Plan production to ensure customer service level targets as set by the business are met.

• Plan, manage and reconcile finished goods stocks to optimum levels in terms of cost, risk and customer service.

• Ensure the Customer and Promotional activity plans (CAP & PAP) are reviewed and planning systems updated on a daily basis

• Build & develop relationships with all stakeholders/ customers both internally & externally.

• Ensure Bakkavor planning needs are communicated effectively to production departments.

• Ensure that day-to-day planning reports, material forecasts and schedules are issued to appropriate areas in a timely manner.

• Ensure that all shortages are communicated to the relevant customer contacts and Commercial Manager as soon as they are known.

About you.

• Good standard of general education.

• High degree of confidence with IT systems and is PC literate.

• High degree of self motivation required. Ability to work in a pressurised environment is essential.

• Ability to work on own initiative.

• The ability to continuously challenge and improve systems/procedures.

• The ability to communicate effectively and develop strong internal/external relationships.

What you'll receive.
As an equal opportunity employer, we're committed to providing a safe and rewarding environment for you to thrive in. This is why we work hard to deliver benefits, rewards and wellbeing offerings that are important to you.
You'll enjoy:

• Life Assurance (1 x salary)
• 22 days holiday
• Staff Shop
• Stakeholder Pension Scheme
• MyBargains Discount Platform
• Personal Accident Insurance
• Free Independent Mortgage Advice
• Employee Assistance Programme
• A Range of voluntary benefits (holiday purchase scheme, additional life assurance, dental & hospital cash plans)
• Discounted tutoring for children
• Access to financial learning tools and affordable loans via your salary
• Private Medical Insurance (after 5 years service)
• Free Car parking

Plus, a commitment to your wellbeing that includes emotional, physical and financial support services delivered by our fantastic team of wellbeing champions.
Proud to be Bakkavor.
We're proud to be the market leader in the UK fresh prepared food industry. We're proud to supply meals, salads, desserts, pizza and bread to leading grocery retailers including Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose. We're driven by the hard work and passion of our people and are delighted to offer a wide range of careers across our business - come and join our dedicated Bakkavor team!
Find out more and apply.
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Bakkavor
We are the leading provider of fresh prepared food in the UK, with operations also in the US, positioning the Group well in these high-growth markets. We leverage our consumer insight and scale to provide innovative food that offers quality, choice, convenience, and freshness. Around 15,000 colleagues operate from 31 sites across our two markets supplying a large portfolio of products across meals, pizza & bread, salads and desserts to leading grocery retailers in the UK and US.
Department: Planning
Location:
Spalding, GB, PE11 2BB
Workplace:
Date: 12 Sept 2025
Req ID: 25947

Skills Required