Production Planner

Job Description

We are looking for a hands-on professional to plan production and manage equipment procurement from identifying requirements through to commissioning and validation. You will work with Production, Stores, R&D, Quality and equipment suppliers to ensure materials, capacity and machinery are ready to meet production needs

Preferred candidate profile:

Production planning

• Prepare monthly and weekly production schedules based on customer orders, forecasts and the Annual Operating Plan (AOP).
• Share raw material requirements with Stores in advance and follow up on material readiness.
• Plan machine capacity, manpower, batch sequencing and changeovers to improve output and reduce delays and overtime.
• Coordinate trial batches for new products before including them in routine commercial production.
• Use trial and production data to verify yields, material balances, processing times and production costs. Coordinate updates to bills of materials (BOMs) in SAP and share revised costing with Sales.
• Track plan versus actual production, identify bottlenecks and coordinate corrective action.
• Coordinate with partner production teams and R&D on the availability and quantities of spent botanical material needed for further processing.

Equipment procurement, trials and validation

• Maintain a prioritised equipment procurement plan with budgets, lead times and target commissioning dates.
• Define equipment requirements with Production, R&D, Engineering and Quality, including capacity, product quality, cleaning, utilities and safety needs.
• Identify suppliers, obtain quotations and compare technical suitability, total ownership cost, delivery timelines, warranties and service support.
• Coordinate supplier negotiations, purchase approvals, orders and delivery follow-ups.
• Arrange equipment trials using Herb Artizans actual botanicals and products. Document throughput, yield, product quality, wastage, energy use and cleaning performance against agreed criteria.
• Plan and coordinate Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) before dispatch. Record results and follow up on deficiencies with suppliers.
• Coordinate site readiness, installation, commissioning and site acceptance testing.
• Coordinate machine qualification and validation with Engineering and Quality to confirm that equipment performs consistently under intended operating conditions.
• Ensure manuals, test reports, validation records, spare parts lists, operating procedures and operator training are completed before production handover.
• Evaluate equipment modifications and new processing capabilities through pilot trials, cost comparisons and investment proposals.

Must-Haves

• Willingness and ability to work in person at Anniyalam, Tamil Nadu, and travel for supplier visits and trials.
• Relevant experience in production planning and equipment procurement in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to translate production needs into practical equipment specifications and schedules.
• Hands-on experience coordinating equipment trials, acceptance testing, commissioning and validation.
• Understanding of capacity planning, yields, material balances, BOMs and production costing.
• Ability to evaluate quotations, negotiate with suppliers and track budgets and delivery commitments.
• Strong spreadsheet, documentation and cross-team coordination skills.

Nice-to-Haves

• A diploma or degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Production or Food Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in herbal ingredients, food processing, nutraceuticals or botanical extraction.
• Familiarity with SAP or another manufacturing ERP system.
• Experience sourcing equipment from domestic and international suppliers.
• Knowledge of hygienic equipment design, GMP and organic material handling requirements.
• Experience scaling pilot processes to commercial production and improving energy or material efficiency.