Planning Manager

Do you want to be a valued part of the critical infrastructure that serves communities across Europe and beyond? Are you looking for a position in which you can set direction and help shape our company? If so, then you could be the newest addition to our team as Planning Manager.

Be part of the movement - and play your part.

About the role

We are looking for a Planning Manager to lead the integrated planning of terminal operations and ensure the effective allocation of labour, operational equipment and terminal capacity across vessel, yard and cargo activities (HR rostering e operational planning).

You will translate vessel schedules, cargo forecasts and expected workloads into safe, efficient and executable operational plans. Working closely with Operations, Execution Teams, Technical Services and other key stakeholders, you will ensure operational readiness, optimize resource utilization and support reliable service delivery.

This is a key leadership role with a direct impact on terminal productivity, safety, cost performance and customer service.

Key duties

• Develop and maintain short- and medium-term integrated operational plans based on vessel schedules, cargo forecasts, expected workloads and available terminal capacity.
• Plan and optimize labour, operational equipment, yard capacity and other resources required to support terminal activities.
• Create and maintain staffing and shift requirements in coordination with Operations and the relevant people-planning functions.
• Ensure alignment between vessel, yard, cargo and resource plans, identifying capacity constraints and operational risks at an early stage.
• Act as the key link between planning and execution teams, ensuring clear priorities, operational readiness and effective handovers.
• Monitor daily operations against the approved plan and coordinate timely adjustments when operational requirements change.
• Develop contingency and recovery plans in response to vessel delays, adverse weather, equipment constraints, volume changes or other disruptions.
• Support efficient vessel and cargo turnaround by ensuring the required resources and operational capacity are available at the right time.
• Work closely with Operations and Technical Services to incorporate equipment availability and planned maintenance into operational plans.
• Monitor and analyze key planning and operational KPIs, including plan adherence, labour and equipment utilization, productivity, vessel turnaround, service reliability and cost performance.
• Conduct post-operation reviews, identify the causes of significant deviations and ensure that lessons learned are incorporated into future plans.
• Establish and maintain planning procedures, operational routines, handover standards and escalation processes.
• Collaborate with Operational Excellence and other functions to improve planning processes, digital tools and operational performance.
• Contribute to capacity forecasting, budgeting and continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, cost optimization and service excellence.
• Ensure that all operational plans comply with applicable health, safety, security and environmental requirements.
• Lead, coach and develop the planning team, promoting accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

About you

We are looking for someone who has:

• At least five years of relevant experience in terminal operations, logistics, transportation, industrial planning or a comparable operational environment.
• Experience in a coordination or leadership role.
• Demonstrable experience in operational planning, workforce and resource allocation, scheduling or capacity planning.
• A strong understanding of the relationship between operational demand, available capacity and resource requirements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make sound, data-driven decisions.
• The ability to remain effective and establish clear priorities in a fast-paced and changing operational environment.
• Experience in analyzing productivity, resource utilization, service and cost-performance data.
• Strong digital capability and experience using planning, scheduling or Terminal Operating Systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with Power BI or similar reporting tools would be an advantage.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• The ability to influence decisions and collaborate effectively across functions.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• A clear commitment to safety, accountability, operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Professional profic