Role Overview
As the leader of our supply chain planning, you’ll shape how our meals move from production to plate. Your decisions will directly influence how efficiently we scale, how reliably we deliver, and how satisfied our customers feel. From optimising inventory and forecasting demand to strengthening supplier partnerships and leading a high-performing team, you’ll be at the centre of balancing cost, speed, and service.
This isn’t just about managing logistics — it’s about building the backbone of a business growing at pace, where your impact will be felt daily across the company and by every customer we serve.
This is a hands-on management role combining planning, use of AI & systems, and people leadership. It carries accountability for demand forecasting accuracy, inventory health, and the day-to-day supply chain and logistics operation, and for building the tools and reporting needed to keep pace with a high-growth, rapidly changing environment.
The Planning and Supply Chain Manager leads the planning and supply chain team, reports to the Procurement and Supply Chain Director, and works closely with Procurement, Operations, NPD, Finance, and Data & AI to keep the supply chain agile and responsive to changing market and production demands.
Key Responsibilities
- Demand and Supply Planning
- Own the end-to-end demand and supply planning cycle, translating sales forecasts, production schedules, and NPD launch plans into an accurate, achievable supply plan.
- Build and maintain rolling demand forecasts, continuously refining forecast accuracy in a fast-changing demand environment.
- Ensure alignment of production plans with sales forecasts and customer requirements, balancing cost, service, and inventory levels.
- Run a regular Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, bringing Procurement, Operations, and Commercial together to align supply with demand.
- Identify and resolve supply and capacity risks ahead of time, escalating trade-offs and recommending solutions to the Director where needed.
- Inventory Management and Systems
- Set and manage inventory targets across raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods, balancing service levels against working capital and waste.
- Own day-to-day use and improvement of the ERP/MRP system for planning and inventory, ensuring data accuracy and real-time visibility of stock positions.
- Work with software developers and engineers to refine planning, inventory, and reporting functionality within the ERP and supporting tools.
- Use data and analytics, in conjunction with the Data & AI team, to identify slow-moving or at-risk stock and to improve planning accuracy and efficiency.
- Monitor key supply chain KPIs — including OTIF, inventory turnover, and forecast accuracy — and drive continuous improvement against them.
- Supply Chain Operations and Logistics
- Manage day-to-day supply chain and logistics operations, including inbound and outbound flow, warehousing, and distribution scheduling.
- Coordinate with suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics partners to ensure timely delivery, implementing best practice in procurement, warehousing, and distribution.
- Monitor supplier delivery performance and logistics service levels against agreed metrics, working with Procurement and suppliers to resolve issues quickly.
- Build contingency plans for supply or logistics disruption, ensuring continuity of production and customer service.
- Collaboration with New Product Development (NPD)
- Partner with the NPD team on launch planning, ensuring new product introductions are supported by an achievable supply and inventory plan.
- Feed planning and inventory insight into NPD decision-making to keep the supply chain lean and responsive to changes in product range.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Procurement to align sourcing and supplier capacity with the demand plan.
- Partner with Operations and Finance to ensure planning assumptions, inventory valuations, and production schedules stay aligned.
- Provide regular reporting and insight to the Procurement and Supply Chain Director on planning performance, inventory health, and supply chain risk.
- Team Leadership and Development
- Manage and develop a team of planners and supply chain analysts, building a culture that is responsive and resilient to market and business change.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and problem-solving within the team.
- Develop team capability in planning tools, data analysis, and agile problem-solving as the business grows, and drive talent development and succession planning within the department.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, or a related field.5+ years of experience in supply chain, planning, or operations management, preferably in chilled ready meals or a similar fast-paced, high-growth environment.
- Hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems (such as SAP or Oracle), including working with software developers or engineers to improve functionality.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with experience using data to drive planning and inventory decisions.
- Good understanding of production, logistics, and supplier operations, ideally within the food preparation or FMCG sector.
- Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management abilities, with the ability to align Procurement, Operations, and Commercial around a shared plan.
- Proven track record of driving efficiency, cost reduction, and service improvement.
