Supply Chain Planner
4 days ago
Saint Albans
Are you an analytically driven Supply Chain Planner with a strong inventory planning background, looking to take ownership of end-to-end planning within a fast-paced FMCG or retail environment? This is an opportunity to join a well-established food business where effective inventory and supply chain planning are critical to driving availability, accuracy, and performance across a portfolio of well-known brands. Each brand within the portfolio is supported by a dedicated planner, working closely with Demand Planning, Supply Planning, and wider Supply Chain teams to deliver robust, data-driven plans that balance service, cost, and working capital. The Role Reporting into the Supply Chain function, the Supply Chain Planner will sit within a specialist planning team and take ownership of planning activities for a defined brand within the wider portfolio. This is a planning-led, analytical role with a strong inventory focus centred on forecast alignment, inventory optimisation, and performance reporting, rather than warehouse execution or physical stock control. You will work cross-functionally with Demand Planning, Supply Planning, and Finance teams to validate forecasts, challenge assumptions, identify risks, and build end-to-end plans that balance service levels, working capital, and operational constraints. This role is well suited to someone from an FMCG or retail planning background who enjoys working with data, forecasts, and Excel-based analysis in a dynamic, fast-moving environment. Key Reposonabilities • Own and maintain end-to-end supply chain and inventory plans for an assigned brand, • Partner with Demand and Supply Planners to validate forecasts, identify gaps, and align supply plans, • Analyse inventory performance across multiple SKUs, identifying risks relating to shortages, excess, and slow-moving stock, • Produce and maintain planning and inventory reports, primarily using Excel, • Track and report key KPIs including stock cover, availability, forecast accuracy, and inventory health, • Use ERP systems (SAP preferred) to support planning activity, stock visibility, and data integrity, • Support inventory reconciliation, variance analysis, and root-cause investigations alongside Supply Chain and Finance, • Contribute to purchase planning and replenishment decisions, considering lead times, constraints, and service targets, • Support continuous improvement across planning processes, reporting, and inventory accuracy, • Exposure to imports/exports or international supply flows is highly advantageous What We’re Looking For • Experience in a Supply Chain Planner, Inventory Planner, Supply Planner, or Planning Analyst role within FMCG or retail, • Strong understanding of supply chain and inventory planning principles, • ERP experience (SAP preferred, but not essential), • Advanced Excel capability (pivot tables, lookups, formulas, scenario analysis), • Highly analytical with strong attention to detail, • Confident communicator, able to work cross-functionally with Planning, Supply Chain, and Finance, • Exposure to international supply chains or imports/exports is a plus Interested? Click “Apply” or email your CV to The Advocate Group is a leading recruitment partner to the FMCG and consumer product sectors. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. By applying for this role, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy, which can be found on our website. The Advocate Group is acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy.