Planning and Inventory Manager

Overview

In this role you will own inventory health, portfolio planning, and demand-to-capacity forecasting to ensure the right products are available at the right time. You will collaborate across Sales, Marketing, Technical, Operations, Procurement, and Manufacturing to drive planning excellence and support growth. The position focuses on optimizing stock levels, reducing ageing and slow-moving inventory, and translating forecasts into actionable capacity plans. You will lead data-driven improvements and act as a subject matter expert for inventory planning processes. A meaningful hook is the opportunity to shape supply strategies within a global industrial engineering group.

Pay / Benefits

• competitive salary
• discretionary bonus
• flexible working
• 27 days holiday
• volunteering leave
• private healthcare

Responsibilities

• Own inventory targets, safety stock, reorder points, and portfolio-wide stock optimisation
• Monitor inventory performance and address excess, ageing, and slow-moving stock with corrective actions
• Manage replenishment plans and coordinate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to resolve supply issues
• Analyse KPIs and provide insight-led recommendations to improve inventory and planning performance
• Maintain accurate product and planning master data ensuring data integrity and compliance
• Support product lifecycle management including introductions, phase-outs, and substitutions
• Develop and enhance demand forecasts using historical data, statistics, and BI
• Translate forecasts into capacity and inventory plans 2–18 months ahead, identifying risks and opportunities
• Collaborate with manufacturing and suppliers on capacity planning to meet customer demand
• Participate in S&OP processes to align commercial demand with supply plans
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives in inventory optimisation and planning capability
• Act as SME for inventory planning processes, systems, and best practices

Key requirements

• Significant experience in inventory planning, replenishment, supply planning, or supply chain operations
• Strong experience in inventory optimisation and supplier performance management
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to interpret data and derive actions
• Advanced Excel and experience with ERP systems and planning tools
• Proven ability to develop forecasts and convert data into inventory and capacity plans
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration
• Experience driving operational improvements and continuous improvement initiatives
• High attention to detail and data governance
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and/or Project Management experience (advantageous)

• stakeholder management
• communication
• problem-solving
• Advanced Excel
• ERP systems
• planning tools

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