MP&L Manager in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham

We are seeking an experienced Materials Planning & Logistics Manager to take full functional ownership of the site's Materials Planning & Logistics operation within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

This is a key leadership position, responsible for ensuring the right materials are available, in the right quantities, at the right time, to support production and consistently meet customer delivery requirements.

You will lead the end-to-end MP&L function, encompassing customer demand and production planning, material availability, inventory management, warehousing, despatch and logistics. Balancing customer service, manufacturing continuity, working capital and operational cost will be central to your success.

As a key member of the site leadership structure, you will drive planning discipline, strengthen operational controls and build a high-performing team. Working closely with Production, Purchasing, Quality, Engineering and Finance, you will ensure the effective coordination of resources, materials and schedules across the business.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded and operationally strong MP&L leader who enjoys driving performance, developing teams and delivering measurable improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Functional Ownership

Take full ownership of the site MP&L function, setting clear priorities, performance standards and accountability.

Lead, develop and motivate the MP&L team, building capability and a strong performance culture.

Establish effective daily, weekly and monthly performance reviews, driving accountability and continuous improvement.

Work cross-functionally with Production, Purchasing, Quality, Engineering and Finance to ensure effective operational alignment.

Materials & Production Planning

Own customer demand, forecasts and production planning, translating customer schedules into achievable production and material plans.

Ensure material availability to support production requirements and minimise the risk of downtime.

Maintain robust MRP and ERP processes, ensuring planning parameters and master data remain accurate.

Lead demand and capacity reviews, proactively identifying constraints and managing potential risks to production and customer delivery.

Support new product introductions, engineering changes, product transfers and production launches.

Inventory & Warehouse Management

Manage inventory levels to balance customer demand, production continuity and working capital requirements.

Drive improvements in inventory accuracy, stock control, inventory turns and overall stock management.

Ensure effective control of obsolete and slow-moving inventory.

Lead warehouse operations, internal material flow, stock movements and despatch activities.

Logistics & Supplier Performance

Manage supplier and material shortages, ensuring timely escalation, effective recovery plans and clear communication.

Work closely with Purchasing and Supply Chain teams to manage supplier constraints and delivery risks.

Own logistics performance, including transport efficiency, premium freight, expedites and cost control.

Ensure effective coordination of inbound and outbound logistics to support operational and customer requirements.

Continuous Improvement & Performance Management

Drive continuous improvement across planning, inventory, warehousing, logistics and material flow.

Monitor and improve key MP&L performance indicators, including customer OTIF, schedule adherence, material availability and inventory performance.

Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce operational costs and strengthen planning processes.

Deliver measurable improvements in service, cost, inventory and overall functional performance.

Key Performance Measures

Success in this role will be measured against a range of operational and commercial KPIs, including:

Customer On-Time In-Full (OTIF) performance.

Production plan and customer schedule adherence.

Material availability and production stoppages.

Inventory value, accuracy and stock turns.

Premium freight, expedite and logistics costs.

Warehouse performance and productivity.

MRP/ERP data accuracy and planning discipline.

Obsolete and slow-moving inventory.

MP&L team productivity and continuous improvement benefits.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on MP&L professional who can combine strong operational leadership with a strategic understanding of materials, planning and logistics within a manufacturing environment.

You will be commercially aware, highly analytical and comfortable operating in a demanding, customer-focused environment where production performance, delivery commitments and cost control are critical.

To be successful, you will ideally demonstrate:

Proven experience in an MP&L, Materials, Supply Chain or Logistics Management role within manufacturing.

Strong expertise in production planning, materials planning and customer scheduling.

Good working knowledge of MRP and ERP systems.

Experience managing inventory, warehouse operations, despatch and logistics.

A strong understanding of customer demand, schedule volatility and manufacturing capacity constraints.

Experience operating within an automotive or high-volume manufacturing environment.

Excellent analytical, problem-solving and recovery-planning skills.

The ability to manage competing customer, operational and commercial priorities.

Strong people-management skills and the ability to lead cross-functional teams.

A commercially focused approach, with a clear understanding of customer service, operational cost and working capital.

The Ideal Candidate

You will be a confident and credible leader who can operate effectively at both a strategic and shop-floor level. You will bring structure, discipline and pace to the MP&L function, with the ability to identify problems early, implement effective solutions and drive sustainable improvements.

Above all, you will take ownership, lead from the front and ensure the business has the materials, plans, processes and people in place to deliver against its customer and production commitments.

If you have the experience and leadership capability to take ownership of a critical manufacturing function and drive MP&L performance forward, we would like to hear from you.