Labour Controller | Rochdale

The Labour Planning & Control Lead is responsible for the end‑to‑end planning, control, and optimisation of production-based labour across the site. The role ensures the right number of people, with the right skills, are planned and deployed on each production line to meet forecasted volumes safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

Looking ahead using production forecasts and volume plans, the Labour Planning & Control Lead balances permanent and agency labour requirements, supports operational delivery, and drives continuous improvement in labour efficiency, cost, and utilisation.

Working closely with Operations leadership (Production Managers, Deputy PMs, Area Supervisors), Planning, Finance, HR, and Agency partners, the role provides the structure, rules, and governance that enable operational teams to execute effectively while maintaining tight control of the site’s largest cost line.

This role is a key enabler of production performance and financial recovery, providing clarity, discipline, and forward visibility around labour.

What you will be doing

Labour Planning & Forecasting

• Build and maintain detailed labour plans for all production lines and shifts based on:
• Forecasted production plans
• Volume requirements
• Line capability, manning standards, and skill requirements
• Look ahead (short, medium, and longer term) to anticipate labour demand, capacity gaps, and risk areas.
• Translate production forecasts into clear, achievable labour requirements, supporting Area Supervisors and Production Managers to plan confidently.
• Ensure labour plans align with agreed planning rules, run lengths, and operational constraints.

Production & Agency Labour Control

• Control day-to-day production labour requirements for both DC & Agency
• Ensure labour is utilised in line with budget expectations
• Own relationship with labour agencies for planning, changes, standards, and performance
• Minimise over- or under-staffing through proactive planning, adjustment, and challenge.

Cost, Efficiency & Performance Governance

• Monitor labour spend, productivity, and utilisation against plan.
• Provide clear reporting on key KPIs such as Planned vs actual labour hours, Labour efficiency impacts, Agency dependency & Cost per unit trends

• Own labour planning assumptions, labour models, and planning rules.
• Ensure labour plans, records, and tracking are accurate, consistent, and controlled.
• Ensure labour data is robust, auditable, and credible for operational and financial decision-making.

• Apply continuous improvement methodologies to deliver improved efficiencies and performance

Collaboration & Communication

• Work in close partnership with Production, Planning, HR, & Finance Teams
• Communicate labour plans clearly and confidently to operational teams.
• Support daily, weekly, and period planning meetings with accurate labour insight and challenge where required.

What you will bring

Education

• Relevant qualification or experience in operations, manufacturing, planning, workforce management, or a related discipline preferred.

Professional Experience

• Proven experience in a labour planning, workforce planning, or operations support role within:
  • Manufacturing
  • FMCG
  • Food or other high-volume production environments
• Strong experience managing or planning agency labour.
• Practical experience working with production forecasts, volume plans, and labour models.
• Experience operating in a fast-paced, labour-intensive environment.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong planning, forecasting, and organisational capability.
• Confident working with data, labour schedules, and workforce models.
• Commercially minded with a clear focus on cost control and efficiency.
• Able to challenge constructively and influence operational decision-making.
• Clear and confident communicator across all levels.
• Structured, disciplined, and detail oriented.
• Comfortable working under pressure in a dynamic production environment.

Strong IT literacy (e.g. Excel and relevant labour / planning systems).

Why join us

Joining Danish Crown in this role offers you exceptional autonomy to manage defined spend areas independently and directly influence our commercial outcomes. Reporting to the Head of Procurement Operations and Sustainability, you will operate within a supportive, forward-thinking team where your market insights and sourcing strategies will drive tangible business improvements.

We offer a structured schedule with an early finish every Friday, working within an environment that values professional development, career growth and collaboration. You will have the opportunity to stretch your capabilities, shape supplier relationships across multiple UK sites and contribute to our ongoing sustainability and commercial goals.

About us

Danish Crown UK is a business built on trust, teamwork and ambition. We exist to deliver food that people believe in, and we know that takes strong leadership and collaborative cultures.

Our leadership principles guide us. We act for the good of the whole organisation. We hire brilliant people and help them grow. We are ambitious, curious and open to new ideas. We build trust by accepting mistakes as part of development. We believe real leadership is earned through example, not title.

Whoever joins us will help create a workplace where people feel safe to speak up, share ideas, challenge old ways of working and stretch themselves to achieve more. If that sounds like the environment where you thrive, we would love to hear from you.