Job Description

Position: Planning Manager

Location: Wednesbury, West Midlands (1 day per week travel to Bootle, Liverpool)

Grade: RCS. L

Shift patterns: Monday-Friday. Day time hours

Contract Type: Permanent (Full-Time)

Great plans drive great performance. DHL is looking for a Planning Manager to lead the way in our Wednesbury transport operation, balancing people, resources, and performance to keep our customer moving forward. 🚚📈

✅A TYPICAL DAY MAY INVOLVE

• Manage the production and delivery of robust transport plans using Paragon and TMS systems, ensuring service, utilisation, load fill, compliance and customer KPI targets are consistently achieved
• Drive network efficiency by identifying and implementing planning improvements, reducing empty running, maximising backhaul opportunities and supporting overall EBIT performance
• Maintain strong relationships with customers, transport sites, warehouse operations and suppliers, ensuring excellent service delivery and a proactive one-network approach
• Own driver labour planning, fleet and resource forecasting, ensuring staffing levels align with customer demand, seasonal fluctuations and peak volume requirements
• Ensure the effective use, accuracy and continuous development of planning systems, incorporating operational feedback to maintain realistic, achievable and customer-focused plans
• Manage Planning function resources and budgets, working closely with Finance and operational stakeholders to control costs, support invoicing requirements and deliver best-in-class service
• Support business continuity, change programmes, new customer implementations and network integration projects, ensuring successful delivery, training and operational readiness
• Lead, coach and develop the Planning team, fostering a high-performing culture focused on safety, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence

✅THIS ROLE WOULD SUIT PEOPLE WHO

• Previous Planning Management experience within a Transport Logistics sector is essential
• Strong communication, organisational and problem-solving skills, with a commitment to health and safety, compliance and delivering high levels of customer service
• Strong knowledge of transport planning systems (TMS), Paragon or similar route planning software is desirable
• Demonstrated ability to manage transport plans, driver labour planning and fleet resources to achieve service, cost and operational KPI targets
• Commercial awareness with an understanding of transport costs, backhaul opportunities, budget management and financial performance drivers
• Excellent people and stakeholder management skills
• Proven track record of successfully supporting change programmes, business integrations, new customer implementations and peak planning activities
• Happy to undertake weekly business travel to Bootle (Liverpool)

✅WHY JOIN US?

• Free on-site parking
• 33 days annual leave
• Join our generous pension scheme and benefit from an 8% employer contribution, alongside a 4% employee contribution
• Free confidential 24/7 GP consultations
• Hundreds of retail and lifestyle discounts
• Affordable loans, savings schemes and free mortgage advice
• Visit https://careers.dhl.com/global/en/working-at-dhl-supply-chain to learn more

✅WHO WE ARE

​We're the global leaders in supply chain management with 188,000 people in over 50 countries. Our expert teams work together to deliver for our customers across a range of industries including retail, automotive, healthcare and more.

✅BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE

At DHL, we're all about creating a workplace where everyone's skills and experiences matter, and where you can be your true self every day.

As proud supporters of the Armed Forces Covenant, we value the skills and experience of ex-service personnel and are dedicated to helping our veterans find jobs.

Please be aware that interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place during the week commencing 21st September, 2026. Applications received after this date may not be considered but will be added to our talent pool for future opportunities, subject to your consent. Please also be aware that we review applications continuously and where we have a large number of applications the application period may close ahead of the provisional interview date. To ensure your application is considered we recommend submitting it as early as possible.

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