Planning Director

The Planning Director will lead all planning processes by ensuring full operational alignment between our multi-location production facilities, distribution centers, and centrally managed logistics, distribution, and sales operations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Engineering, or a related field,

• Minimum 10 years of experience in food production, fresh product / short shelf-life operations, or fast-cycle manufacturing environments, with at least 5 years in a managerial role,

• Expertise in production planning, capacity planning, material requirements planning (MRP), supply planning, and demand forecasting,

• Experience in planning for multi-location production operations,

• Strong knowledge of planning processes integrated with logistics, distribution, and sales & operations management,

• Ability to anticipate supply chain risks and develop alternative action plans,

• Hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems and advanced planning tools (APS),

• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, prioritization, and decision-making skills,

• Demonstrated leadership capabilities with experience in managing, developing, and coaching teams,

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across field, headquarters, and production teams,

• High adaptability to fast-paced environments and fluctuating demand–production dynamics,

• Proficiency in written and spoken English,

• Preferably residing on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Job Description

• Develop and manage production planning strategies for multi-location production operations,

• Establish and continuously improve an integrated planning process to optimize the balance between demand, production, and distribution for short shelf-life products,

• Create daily, weekly, and monthly production plans by considering product-level capacity, raw material needs, production lines, labor, and operational constraints,

• Oversee material and supply planning processes; define safety stock levels for critical raw materials and manage supply risks,

• Ensure production–inventory–distribution optimization by considering demand volatility, shelf-life requirements, and delivery times,

• Strengthen cross-functional coordination between Sales, Operations, Logistics, Procurement, and Production teams; lead S&OP / S&OE processes,

• Monitor planning performance, analyze deviations, and develop preventive action plans,

• Lead efficiency and capacity improvement projects across production facilities,

• Provide process improvement recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of ERP/MRP/APS systems,

• Manage the planning team; set goals, support capability development, and oversee performance processes,

• Prepare and present regular planning reports, demand projections, and capacity analyses to senior management.