Materials Planner

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We’re hiring:
Materials / Demand Planner | Supply Chain | Production Planning | Inventory Management

We’re looking for a proactive and detail-driven Materials / Demand Planner to join our supply chain team at our Harlow manufacturing site
. This role is key to ensuring the right levels of materials and finished goods are available to support a growing sales forecast, while helping the business meet its lean manufacturing objectives.

You’ll balance customer demand, production requirements and inventory levels to ensure on-time delivery
, improved stock turns
, and reduced inventory holding — without compromising service.

• Plan and manage material and finished goods availability in line with sales forecasts
• Use demand planning and MRP signals to release purchase orders to suppliers
• Maintain agreed safety stock levels
  , challenging forecasts where appropriate to avoid over- or under-stocking
• Manage inventory levels to meet stock holding and availability targets
• Expedite urgent material or finished goods requirements to support production schedules
• Monitor and report on supplier delivery performance against plan
• Manage product changeovers to ensure continuity of supply while minimising obsolescence
• Maintain accurate item master data, planning parameters and system records
• Build strong working relationships with suppliers and internal teams (production, sales, operations)
• Contribute to continuous improvement across the supply chain and wider business

• Escalate risks or challenges early and work with your Line Manager to agree solutions
• Support wider departmental and business objectives as required

• Experience in materials planning, demand planning or supply chain planning
• Strong understanding of forecasting, MRP, inventory management and production planning
• Analytical, organised and confident working with data and systems
• Able to manage multiple priorities and respond quickly to changing demand
• Strong communication skills and comfortable working with suppliers and internal stakeholders
• A collaborative team player with a proactive, problem-solving mindset

This is a hands-on planning role where you’ll have real influence on customer delivery performance, inventory optimisation and operational efficiency in a growing manufacturing environment.