Planning & Optimisation Lead

CNX Recruitment are exclusively recruiting on behalf of a leading Facilities Management and Engineering services provider for an experienced Planning & Optimisation Lead to support a prestigious pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Macclesfield.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a highly regulated and technically complex environment, where you will play a key role in improving maintenance planning, resource optimisation, and operational performance across a critical Hard Services FM contract.

The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring maintenance activities are effectively planned, scheduled, and optimised to deliver safe, compliant, and efficient engineering services.

The Role

As Planning & Optimisation Lead, you will oversee the development and continuous improvement of maintenance planning strategies, ensuring resources, systems, and processes are aligned with operational priorities and asset criticality.

Working closely with engineering teams, technical stakeholders, and operational leaders, you will use data-driven insights to improve maintenance effectiveness, increase reliability, and support a proactive approach to service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and scheduling of all Hard Services maintenance activities, including:
  • Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)
  • Statutory compliance activities
• Develop short, medium, and long-term maintenance schedules aligned with site requirements.
• Prioritise works based on asset criticality, risk, and operational impact.
• Coordinate shutdowns, outages, and critical engineering interventions.
• Analyse CAFM/CMMS data, KPIs, and asset performance information to identify improvement opportunities.
• Drive improvements in:
  • PPM compliance and effectiveness
  • Reactive maintenance reduction
  • First-time fix performance
  • Engineering resource utilisation
• Develop resource plans to ensure effective deployment of engineering teams and specialist contractors.
• Maintain accurate CAFM/CMMS records including asset registers, maintenance plans, and work order data.
• Support compliance with pharmaceutical standards, including GMP/GxP requirements where applicable.
• Work collaboratively with engineering, compliance, and client teams to align maintenance activities with operational priorities.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities across planning and scheduling processes.

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• Previous experience in planning, scheduling, or optimisation roles within Facilities Management, Engineering, or Technical Services.
• Strong understanding of Hard Services engineering delivery, including HVAC, utilities, and critical systems.
• Experience using CAFM/CMMS systems for maintenance planning and performance analysis.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and deliver measurable improvements.
• Experience working within regulated environments such as pharmaceutical, healthcare, or similar sectors.

Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of GMP/GxP regulated environments.
• Experience with predictive maintenance and asset optimisation strategies.
• Formal training or experience in planning, scheduling, Lean, or operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience using digital maintenance tools and data visualisation platforms.

What''s on Offer

• Permanent position with a highly respected engineering and facilities services provider.
• Opportunity to work within a world-class pharmaceutical environment.
• Competitive salary package and benefits.
• Career development opportunities within a growing organisation.

If you have experience in maintenance planning, engineering optimisation, and delivering performance improvements within complex environments, CNX Recruitment would like to hear from you.

Apply today for a confidential discussion.