Job Description

Location:

Braintree, Essex

Employment Type:

Full-time, on-site

Industry:

CNC Precision Engineering

Salary:

Competitive, based on experience

Reporting to:

Operations Manager / Managing Director

About Us

We are a well-established CNC precision engineering company with a modern facility, 25+ high-spec machines, and a reputation for producing complex, high-accuracy components for OEMs and defence-type customers. As we grow, we're introducing a more structured, visual approach to planning and production control -- and we're looking for someone to lead the charge on the shopfloor.

Role Overview

This role is ideal for someone who understands CNC manufacturing and enjoys being in the heart of the action. You'll own the process of job planning on machines, update our visual planning boards, lead daily walkarounds, and provide early warnings of delays or capacity issues. You'll be the glue between planning, production, and management -- ensuring jobs stay visible, moving, and on track.

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Scheduling

Translate job travellers into daily plans per machine. Create magnetic job labels/cards with key job data for visual planning boards. Schedule and prioritise jobs with input from sales, quality, and shopfloor teams.

Visual Planning Management

Maintain and update magnetic whiteboards by machine or work centre. Ensure job cards reflect real-time progress and changes.

Daily Shopfloor Coordination

Lead structured walkarounds each morning to check progress and collect updates. Track delays, tooling shortages, or waiting jobs -- and escalate concerns promptly.

Progress & KPI Reporting

Maintain a job tracking log (manual or digital). Highlight jobs at risk and assist in load prediction (machine overloads, bottlenecks). Support simple KPI reporting (e.g. OTD, WIP hours, machine utilisation).

Communication & Issue Resolution

Act as the day-to-day link between production, planning, and management. Keep stakeholders informed of status changes and constraints. Support continuous improvement by suggesting planning or workflow optimisations.

Required Skills & Experience

Essential:

Experience in a CNC machining or manufacturing environment. Good understanding of production workflows and job routing. Strong organisational skills and attention to detail. Comfortable leading short meetings/walkarounds and chasing updates. Able to read route cards, job packs, and simple engineering drawings. Confident communicator across all levels (shopfloor to management).

Desirable:

Experience with visual planning tools (e.g. job boards, Kanban, magnets). Familiarity with basic KPI tracking (Excel, Google Sheets). Prior involvement in production planning or shopfloor coordination. Exposure to lean or continuous improvement practices. Calm, practical problem-solver with a hands-on approach.

What We Offer

A permanent role in a forward-thinking engineering company. The chance to make a real impact on how we plan and run production. Training and support as we refine our planning systems. A collaborative and respectful working culture. Opportunity to grow with the business as we scale. Great working Environment.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

Company pension Free parking On-site parking
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person