Production Planner jobs in Cape Town, Western Cape

Job Purpose

Coordinates SAP planning activities to convert meal demand and confirmed customer orders into accurate production schedules, counts, job cards, transfers, and consumption records before billing. The Production Planner/ Plant Scheduler prepares schedules for the unit to ensure production data is complete, timely, and ready for daily execution and operational control.

Principal Accountabilities

• Coordinates daily meal volumes and production counts in SAP based on flight schedules, customer orders, and operational demand to ensure production plans are accurate.
• Prepares production schedules for the unit to align capacity, product requirements, and service timing.
• Updates counts and amendments before billing to ensure system data is complete and ready for downstream processing.
• Adjusts plans for late changes, special meals, and service amendments to protect execution.
• Confirms final counts with relevant teams before production cut-off to reduce errors and rework.
• Creates job cards that define the food required for production to guide kitchen execution.
• Loads job cards into the system and shares them with the Chef de Parte to ensure work is sequenced correctly.
• Updates job cards when counts or production needs change to keep teams aligned.
• Verifies job card details against the approved plan to ensure the kitchen receives accurate instructions.
• Tracks transfers, consumption, and production movements in SAP to ensure stock records remain accurate.
• Prepares consumption reports and reconciles variances to support stock control and billing accuracy.
• Maintains records of planning transactions and supporting documents for traceability and audit readiness.
• Reviews stock movement trends and highlight unusual variances for follow-up action.
• Coordinates with Executive Sous Chef, Sous Chef, Pastry Chef & Chef de Parte to align the plan with capacity and available ingredients.
• Monitors readiness, shortages, and timing issues and escalates exceptions that may affect service delivery.
• Supports handover between planning and execution to keep production flowing on schedule.
• Communicates plan changes promptly to relevant stakeholders to ensure they can adjust their work.
• Reviews daily planning variances and recurring issues to identify improvement opportunities.
• Recommends actions that reduce waste, rework, and delay to improve operational performance.
• Follows food safety, traceability, and internal contro requirements in all planning activities.
• Documents recurring issues to identify root causes and supports corrective actions that strengthen planning discipline and improve future planning accuracy.

Qualifications & Experience

• Diploma in supply chain, production planning, hospitality, logistics, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years experience in production planning, scheduling, inventory control, or similar operational environment
• Experience working with SAP, job cards, production records, or billing, coordinating with chefs, operations teams, and external customers in a time-critical environment
• Strong understanding of meal planning, counts, and production sequencing.
• Working knowledge of SAP or similar planning systems

Knowledge and Skills

• Production planning and scheduling
• Demand forecasting and analysis
• Inventory and materials management
• Capacity planning and resource allocation
• Data analysis and reporting
• ERP/MRP systems proficiency
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Stakeholder management and communication
• Continuous improvement methodologies

Attributes

• Highly organised and detail-oriented
• Strong analytical and numerical ability
• Results-driven and proactive
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Strong planning and coordination skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced environment
• Customer-focused with a strong sense of urgency
• Collaborative team player with high levels of accountabilitys

Additional Information

Air Chefs SOC Ltd is a premium food solutions company with over 40 years of experience. A wholly owned subsidiary of South African Airways, we are uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional food and hospitality services across air, corporate, and event sectors. With three strategically located operational units in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, we have the capacity to produce over 50000 meals daily, serving domestic and international airlines, airport lounges, events, and corporate canteens.