UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Global Production Planning

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports10-25 reports
  • Reports toVP of Global Supply Chain
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as VP Production Planning · Head of Supply Chain Planning · Global S&OP Director · Operations Planning Director

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

PIABC Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Wood Machining PIABC Ltd · Level 3 · covers 1 of 3 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Producing Planed Wood and Wood-based Products in the Workplace NOCN Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Wood Machining (Construction/Sawmilling Extrusion)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Frontier Fluency the next wave, beyond mainstream AI
Trust Fluency keeping the digital world safe

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director of Global Production Planning?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Strategic Analysis
  • Predictive Analytics for Supply Chain Resilience
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

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3What this role really is

Director of Global Production Planning sets the global schedule for how products get made and delivered. This means making sure factories worldwide run to plan, customers get what they need, and inventory doesn't build up unsold. The role balances what sales teams promise against what operations can deliver, coordinating the global supply plan across a complex network.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

ERP System (e.g., SAP S/4HANA) Strategic

You'll be a key stakeholder in major system upgrades or new module implementations (e.g., SAP IBP), defining master data governance policies and understanding the integration points across the enterprise. You won't be running transactions, but you'll understand the system's strategic implications.

Advanced Planning System (APS) (e.g., Kinaxis RapidResponse, Blue Yonder) Architect

You'll define the business rules, logic, and strategic roadmap for how we use our APS tool across the enterprise. This means owning its expansion, ensuring it aligns with our planning strategy, and making sure it's delivering real value.

Data Visualization (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) Strategic

You'll define the global KPI framework and present executive-level dashboards (often via Power BI Premium) in S&OP and board meetings. You'll use these to drive strategic decisions and communicate performance to the highest levels.

Integrated Business Planning (IBP) Tool (e.g., Anaplan, o9 Solutions) Architect

You'll design and deploy enterprise-wide IBP models, leading the integration of financial planning with operational planning within the tool. You're the one making sure it's a single source of truth for our global plans.

Executive Reporting Platforms (e.g., Workday Adaptive Planning, Board) Advanced

You'll directly use these platforms to align operational plans with financial targets, presenting scenarios and their P&L impact to finance leadership and the C-suite. This is where your operational plans meet the money.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Global S&OP Process Design & Policy N/A (follows established process) N/A (follows established process) N/A (follows established process)
Global Inventory Target Setting N/A (executes to targets) N/A (executes to targets) N/A (executes to targets)
Advanced Planning System (APS) & IBP Tool Selection N/A (uses existing tools) N/A (uses existing tools) N/A (uses existing tools)
Global Capacity Investment Recommendations N/A N/A N/A

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Perfect Order Percentage
This is about getting it right every single time: complete, on-time, damage-free, and with accurate documentation. It's the ultimate measure of customer satisfaction from an operational perspective.
Target · Drive global Perfect Order rate from 88% to 92% over two years, aiming for 95% in key markets.

If we ship 100,000 orders, we're looking for 92,000 of them to be absolutely perfect, with no issues whatsoever. You'll own the strategy to get us there.

Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) Reduction
This metric tells us how quickly we turn our investments in inventory into cash. A lower number means we're more efficient and have more cash to invest elsewhere.
Target · Reduce the global CCC by 5 days within 18 months through strategic inventory positioning and lead time reduction efforts.

If our CCC is currently 70 days, you'll be responsible for strategies that bring that down to 65 days, freeing up millions in working capital.

Excess & Obsolete (E&O) Inventory as % of Total Inventory
This is the stuff that's collecting dust, costing us money, and likely heading for the scrap heap. You're responsible for minimising this financial drain.
Target · Reduce global E&O provision by £5M annually, or a 15% reduction year-on-year, whichever is greater.

If we currently have £30M in E&O, you'll need to get that down to £25M by the end of the year through better planning and lifecycle management.

Global Forecast Accuracy (WMAPE)
How close our demand plan is to what actually sells, weighted by value. This directly impacts our production schedules and inventory levels.
Target · Improve global Weighted Mean Absolute Percentage Error (WMAPE) from 25% to below 20% within 12 months.

If our current forecast is off by 25% on average for our high-value products, you'll need to implement processes and tools to bring that error down significantly, meaning less guesswork for the factories.

Global S&OP Process Maturity
This isn't just about having an S&OP process; it's about how well it actually works. Are we making timely, data-driven decisions? Is everyone bought in?
  • Regular participation and engagement from C-suite and regional leaders in S&OP meetings. Documented, agreed-upon decisions with clear accountability. High adoption rate of planning tools across regions. Feedback from internal surveys showing improved cross-functional alignment and trust in the plan. External audit reports confirming robust process controls.
Strategic Partnership Effectiveness
How well you build and maintain relationships with key internal and external partners. Your ability to influence without direct authority is crucial here.
  • Proactive engagement with key suppliers on long-term capacity and risk mitigation. Joint planning sessions with Sales and Marketing that result in actionable, agreed-upon plans. Positive feedback from regional Operations leaders on your team's support and guidance. Successful negotiation of planning parameters with major logistics providers, leading to better service or cost.
Talent Development & Team Capability
Are you building a world-class planning team? This means attracting, developing, and retaining top talent, and ensuring your team has the skills for the future.
  • Low attrition rates within your planning organisation. High scores on employee engagement surveys for your team. Clear career progression paths for individual contributors and managers. Successful internal promotions from your team into more senior roles. Demonstrated improvement in team members' technical and soft skills through training and mentorship programmes.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Driving Enterprise-Wide Impact

You'll get a real kick out of seeing your strategic planning decisions translate into millions saved in working capital, improved customer satisfaction scores globally, or successful new product launches. This isn't about local wins; it's about moving the entire company forward.

Successfully implementing a new global inventory optimisation strategy that reduces E&O by £10M across all regions, directly impacting the company's P&L.

Solving Complex, Global Puzzles

If you love untangling really messy, interconnected problems that span continents and involve multiple functions, you'll thrive. Think balancing demand spikes in one region with capacity constraints in another, while a key supplier is facing a labour dispute. It's never dull.

Designing a new global supply network strategy that optimises for both cost and resilience, accounting for geopolitical risks and varying customer service expectations in different markets.

Building and Mentoring High-Performing Teams

You'll be directly responsible for shaping the next generation of planning leaders. This means coaching your managers, setting clear expectations, and creating a culture where people can grow and excel. Seeing your team succeed will be a huge motivator.

Developing a succession plan for your key direct reports, with two managers successfully promoted into broader leadership roles within 18 months.

What frustrates people
  • Being held 100% accountable for global forecast accuracy while having 0% direct control over regional sales teams' inputs and their last-minute 'must-have' deals. You're the one who has to make sense of it all.
  • The constant political nightmare of allocating limited global supply between competing, high-priority regions or customers, knowing someone, somewhere, will be unhappy with your decision.
  • Spending a significant chunk of your time trying to get regional teams to adopt global processes and tools, often facing resistance because 'that's not how we do things here'.
  • Getting blamed by Finance for high global inventory levels and by Sales for stockouts in the same quarterly review. It's a tightrope walk.
  • Explaining to the C-suite, for the tenth time, that their aggressive multi-year revenue target is mathematically impossible to hit with current factory capacity, supplier lead times, and capital expenditure plans.
  • Your carefully crafted, globally optimised production schedule being completely derailed by an 'urgent' quality hold at a major factory or an unplanned machine downtime event that impacts multiple regions.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, predictable 9-to-5. This role demands flexibility and a willingness to tackle urgent issues that pop up across time zones.
  • Direct control over all the levers. You're an influencer and an architect, not a dictator. You'll need to win people over.
  • A simple, singular focus. You'll be juggling strategic vision with operational realities, often having to zoom in and out rapidly.
  • Immediate gratification on every project. Strategic changes take time, and you'll need patience to see them through.

8Who you work with

Your decisions here directly shape our global manufacturing footprint, influence customer service levels, and have a massive impact on our working capital. Honestly, you're a major player in our overall profitability and ability to grow. Get it right, and you're a hero. Get it wrong, and it's a very public problem.

Inside the business
  • The C-Suite (especially the COO and CFO) – they'll be looking to you for the big picture on operational capacity and inventory.
  • Regional Operations Directors – you'll need their buy-in and local knowledge to make your global plans work.
  • Global Sales & Marketing Leadership – they'll push for aggressive targets, and you'll need to balance that with reality.
  • Global Finance Team – they're your partners in managing working capital and understanding the cost implications of your plans.
  • Product Management – you'll work closely with them on new product introductions and end-of-life planning.
Outside the business
  • Strategic Suppliers – you'll be working with them to ensure raw material availability and manage lead times.
  • Key Logistics Partners – making sure our goods move efficiently around the world.
  • Industry Bodies and Consultants – staying ahead of best practices and regulatory changes.

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience (at least 5 years) leading and managing large, multi-regional planning teams, including managers.
  • A track record of successfully implementing and optimising global S&OP/IBP processes from scratch or through significant transformation.
  • Demonstrable experience in selecting, deploying, and gaining adoption for advanced planning systems (APS) or IBP tools across an enterprise.
  • Expertise in managing complex global supply chain networks, understanding the interplay of manufacturing, logistics, and demand.
  • Exceptional ability to influence and negotiate with C-suite and senior leadership across various functions (Sales, Finance, Manufacturing).
  • A deep understanding of financial principles related to inventory management, working capital, and P&L impact. You speak Finance's language.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Digital Twin & Simulation Platform Strategy

As supply chains become more complex and volatile, the ability to model and simulate changes in a virtual environment before committing to them in the real world is critical. You'll need to define how we use digital twins to optimise our global network, test new planning policies, and stress-test our resilience.

Digital Twin Architecture · Simulation Scenarios · Real-time Data Integration

  • This month: Attend webinars or workshops on supply chain digital twins. Understand the capabilities and limitations of current platforms.
  • Next quarter: Engage with our IT and Data teams to assess our current data infrastructure's readiness for supporting a digital twin initiative.
  • Within 6 months: Develop a high-level strategic roadmap for exploring and potentially implementing a digital twin for a critical part of our global supply chain.
  • Within 12 months: Lead a cross-functional team to define the business requirements and potential ROI for a full-scale digital twin deployment.

Quick win: Explore open-source simulation tools or simple modelling software to build a basic digital representation of a small, critical part of our supply chain to understand the principles.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend and present at industry conferences (e.g., Gartner Supply Chain Symposium, CSCMP EDGE) to stay current on trends and network with peers.
  • Participate in executive leadership programmes or an MBA to further develop your strategic business acumen and leadership capabilities.
  • Engage with supply chain technology vendors and startups to understand emerging solutions and their potential application to our business.
  • Mentor junior professionals within the supply chain community, both internally and externally, to solidify your expertise and give back.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Strategic Analysis

Our competitors are already using large language models (LLMs) to draft strategic reports, summarise complex market intelligence, and even simulate stakeholder reactions in minutes, not days. Directors who understand how to effectively 'prompt' these tools will gain a significant strategic advantage, allowing for faster, more comprehensive analysis and communication.

  • Strategic Prompt Design
  • Context Window Management
  • Output Validation & Bias Detection
  • Confidentiality & Data Security

Predictive Analytics for Supply Chain Resilience

The last few years have shown us that 'black swan' events are becoming more frequent. Simply reacting isn't enough. Directors need to build truly resilient supply chains, and that means moving from reactive risk management to proactive, predictive analytics that anticipate disruptions before they hit.

  • Risk Sensing Networks
  • Scenario Planning & Simulation
  • Prescriptive Analytics
  • Supply Chain Digital Twins

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Global Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) / Integrated Business Planning (IBP) Design
  • Demand Forecasting & Statistical Modelling Governance
  • Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimisation (MEIO) Strategy
  • Global Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) & Constraint Management
  • Total Cost to Serve (TCTS) Analysis & Optimisation

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Regional Planning Director / Head of S&OP (Large Enterprise)

    You'd typically spend 3-5 years in a similar regional or functional leadership role, managing a significant P&L or a large team, before stepping up to a global Director position.

    Skills to master

    • Mastering regional P&L management, leading cross-functional S&OP cycles, building and retaining high-performing teams, and influencing regional executive stakeholders.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led a major S&OP transformation within a large region or business unit.
    • Demonstrated ability to consistently hit regional inventory and service level targets.
    • Built strong relationships with regional sales, manufacturing, and finance leaders.
    • Proven track record of developing and promoting talent within your team.
  2. 2

    Global Planning Manager (Very Large Organisation)

    If you've been a Global Planning Manager for a massive product portfolio or a critical business unit in a truly enormous company, you might be ready after 4-6 years in that role.

    Skills to master

    • Managing complex global product launches, optimising inventory across multiple echelons, leading highly matrixed teams, and navigating complex organisational politics.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully managed planning for a multi-billion pound product line or business unit.
    • Led a global initiative to implement a new planning tool or process.
    • Consistently delivered improvements in key global planning metrics (e.g., forecast accuracy, E&O).
    • Demonstrated ability to influence across different functions and geographies without direct authority.
  3. 3

    Consulting Partner (Supply Chain Practice)

    If you've spent 8-10+ years at a top-tier consulting firm specialising in supply chain transformation, you could transition into this role. You'd need to have led multiple large-scale planning engagements.

    Skills to master

    • Deep expertise in supply chain strategy, process design, technology selection, and change management. You'll need to prove you can move from advising to actually running an operation.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Led multiple successful global S&OP or supply chain planning transformation projects for major clients.
    • Built and managed large consulting teams on complex engagements.
    • Developed thought leadership in the supply chain planning space.
    • Demonstrated ability to 'sell' and implement strategic changes at the executive level.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to running operations across an entire business, such as Chief Operations Officer or Chief Supply Chain Officer. It can also lead to advisory roles, such as a board or non-executive director position.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director of Global Production Planning is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Producing Planed Wood and Wood-based Products in the Workplace, worked against Director of Global Production Planning.

Producing Planed Wood and Wood-based Products in the Workplace Level 2

Applied to your work in Director of Global Production Planning

This unit aims to provide learners with the skills and knowledge to produce planed wood and wood-based products, demonstrating an understanding of relevant information, resources, and safety procedures. Learners will be able to interpret technical documentation, select appropriate resources, minimise the risk of damage, and maintain safe working practices in compliance with relevant legislation and guidance.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Global Production Planning
  • Global Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) / Integrated Business Planning (IBP) Design
  • Demand Forecasting & Statistical Modelling Governance
  • Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimisation (MEIO) Strategy
  • Global Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) & Constraint Management
  • Total Cost to Serve (TCTS) Analysis & Optimisation
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Global Production Planning is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP of Global Supply Chain

    Roughly 3-5 years in the Director role, assuming you've consistently delivered exceptional results and demonstrated broader strategic capabilities beyond just planning.

    This is a significant step up, moving from owning the planning strategy to owning the entire end-to-end global supply chain (procurement, manufacturing, logistics, planning).

    • Global Procurement Strategy Defining how we source materials and manage supplier relationships worldwide.
    • Manufacturing Operations Leadership Overseeing the performance and strategy of our global manufacturing footprint.
    • Global Logistics & Distribution Strategy Optimising the movement and storage of goods across continents.
    • Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing Leadership Driving our ESG agenda across the entire supply chain.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real: as a Director, your time is precious. You're meant to be thinking strategically, not slogging through data or drafting endless reports. The good news? AI isn't just for junior roles; it's a game-changer for senior leaders too. We're building an AI Productivity Hub specifically designed to free you up for the high-impact work.

Imagine having a co-pilot that handles the grunt work, flags critical risks before they become crises, and even drafts your executive summaries. For a Global Production Planning Director, AI means less time on manual data collation and more time on strategic decision-making, influencing stakeholders, and truly optimising our worldwide operations.

Automated Forecast Collation & Anomaly Detection

An AI agent will automatically pull forecast data from every source – CRM, regional spreadsheets, statistical models – and instantly flag any anomalies or inconsistencies. It'll pre-populate your initial demand planning templates, saving your team countless hours and giving you a cleaner starting point for your strategic reviews.

Enhanced Demand Sensing & Scenario Modelling

Use machine learning models that go beyond traditional forecasts. They'll analyse non-traditional data like social media trends, weather patterns, and competitor pricing to give you an additional layer of insight. This helps you identify demand risks and opportunities much earlier, allowing you to run 'what-if' scenarios with far greater accuracy and speed than ever before.

Proactive Global Supply Risk Monitoring

Imagine AI continuously scanning global news, financial reports, shipping lane data, and even supplier social media. It'll flag potential supplier disruptions – think bankruptcy risk, port closures, geopolitical events – before they impact your global supply plan. This gives you precious time to pivot and mitigate, turning reactive firefighting into proactive risk management.

AI-Drafted S&OP Executive Narratives

The AI will draft the initial commentary for your monthly S&OP executive summary. It'll explain key variances, outline major risks, and summarise the core assumptions behind your recommended global plan. This means you spend less time writing and more time refining the strategic message and preparing for tough questions from the C-suite.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Global Production Planning?

Common routes in include Regional Planning Director / Head of S&OP (Large Enterprise) (You'd typically spend 3-5 years in a similar regional or functional leadership role, managing a significant P&L or a large team, before stepping up to a global Director position.), Global Planning Manager (Very Large Organisation) (If you've been a Global Planning Manager for a massive product portfolio or a critical business unit in a truly enormous company, you might be ready after 4-6 years in that role.) and Consulting Partner (Supply Chain Practice) (If you've spent 8-10+ years at a top-tier consulting firm specialising in supply chain transformation, you could transition into this role. You'd need to have led multiple large-scale planning engagements.). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Global Production Planning progress to?

This role can lead on to VP of Global Supply Chain (Roughly 3-5 years in the Director role, assuming you've consistently delivered exceptional results and demonstrated broader strategic capabilities beyond just planning.), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Global Production Planning?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Strategic Analysis and Predictive Analytics for Supply Chain Resilience. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills in this role carry across manufacturing, retail, and logistics. Managing complex global networks and leading operational change applies in most industries with large-scale supply chains.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Data Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.