Junior Project Planner – 12-Month Experiential Learning Programme

About the role

Sandvik's Rock Processing business is looking for a motivated Junior Project Planner to join its Operations team on a 12-month experiential learning programme. The role gives practical exposure to production planning, project scheduling, capacity management and progress monitoring in a complex manufacturing environment, supporting the planning and coordination of production activities and bridging the gap between planning and execution.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain production plans based on customer requirements, delivery dates, capacity and lead times
• Schedule jobs across fabrication, machining, assembly, welding and testing to meet delivery commitments
• Monitor labour, machines and workshop capacity and identify overloads or under-utilisation
• Confirm materials, components, drawings and consumables are available before work is released, and release production orders only when they are ready
• Set daily and weekly priorities and track progress against the schedule, identifying delays and work-in-progress buildup
• Support recovery plans such as resequencing, overtime or subcontracting when production falls behind
• Work with Production, Engineering, Procurement, Stores, Quality, Maintenance, Projects and Logistics to remove constraints
• Prepare reports on workshop loading, capacity, utilisation, backlog and upcoming workload
• Maintain accurate production orders, routings, hours and priorities in the ERP system and monitor delivery performance
• Analyse planning performance and recommend improvements to lead times, scheduling and capacity utilisation

Required profile

• Grade 12 (Matric)
• Diploma or degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
• Recent graduate seeking 12 months of structured experiential learning in manufacturing project planning
• Strong analytical, planning, organisational and problem-solving ability
• Effective communication and coordination across functions in a deadline-driven environment
• South African citizenship

Required skills

• Power BI
• Advanced Microsoft Project and strong Microsoft Excel
• Project scheduling, production and capacity planning, schedule forecasting and S-curve/histogram development
• ERP/MRP systems; SYSPRO exposure is advantageous
• Reading engineering drawings and bills of materials

Candidates must submit a CV, certified qualifications and academic transcript or statement of results by 06 November 2026.