Maintenance Planner

Job Description:

The Opportunity

We are working with a leading International FMCG business based in Greater Manchester to recruit two Maintenance Planners to join their engineering team. These are brand new, newly created roles representing a genuine opportunity to shape and build something from the ground up.

If you are someone who thrives on making a real difference, introducing new ways of working, and being part of a business that is genuinely committed to transforming how it manages maintenance, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

Why This Role Is Different

This business is on an exciting journey. Having recently implemented a new SAP system, they are now looking to fundamentally shift their maintenance approach - moving away from reactive firefighting towards a structured, proactive maintenance strategy. These roles are central to making that happen.

You won't just be slotting into an existing process, you'll be building one. That takes resilience, fresh thinking, and strong people skills, but for the right person it is an incredibly rewarding challenge with real scope to make your mark.

The Role

As Maintenance Planner you will be responsible for the effective planning, scheduling, and coordination of maintenance activities across a busy manufacturing site. Working closely with the Engineering team, you will play a key role in optimising asset reliability, minimising downtime, and ensuring full compliance with safety and quality standards.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and maintaining preventive and predictive maintenance schedules for plant equipment and facilities
• Planning and coordinating corrective maintenance activities, ensuring timely resolution of equipment failures in line with production schedules
• Collaborating with engineering, production, and HSE teams to prioritise maintenance tasks
• Managing work orders, spare parts, and resource allocation through the SAP system
• Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal maintenance policies
• Monitoring contractor performance and coordinating external service providers — there is a significant amount of contractor activity planned over the next 12 months with new production and packing lines coming on site
• Tracking and analysing maintenance KPIs including equipment availability, mean time between failures, and maintenance costs
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives in reliability and asset management
• Providing input into capital projects and equipment upgrades

What We're Looking For

Experience & Background:

• Must have experience in a maintenance planning or similar role
• Any manufacturing background will be considered
• A formal engineering qualification is not essential - what matters most is a solid understanding of stores and inventory management, strong planning skills, and the ability to work effectively within a maintenance environment
• Hands-on engineering experience is not necessary - this role is about planning, coordinating, and driving reliability through strong process and systems knowledge
• Experience of a CMMS platform (SAP, Maximo, Infor or similar) — SAP S/4HANA experience is a real advantage but not essential
• Understanding of reliability engineering principles and asset performance improvement
• Familiarity with UK/EU maintenance-related safety and environmental regulations
• Experience managing contractors and external service providers
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to report on and interpret maintenance KPIs
• RCM or CMMS professional certifications would be advantageous

The Person: This is as much about personality as it is about technical skills. The successful candidate will be:

• Resilient and confident enough to introduce new ideas to an established team, a strong communicator who can build credibility and bring people on a journey, proactive and driven with a genuine desire to improve the way things are done
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, manufacturing environment

What's On Offer

• Monday to Friday 7am - 3:30pm.
• Up to 8% matched pension.
• 30 days annual leave.
• Entitled to participate in the Company’s Private Health Scheme.
• Free company products every month.
• A permanent role within a well-established and growing international business.
• A collaborative and supportive engineering team environment.
• Personal development and progression opportunities

If you are self-motivated, hardworking, and ready to take the next step in your maintenance career, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note: All applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Our client does not offer sponsorship.