Stock and Demand planner - St Albans - to £40k plus benefits
A leading, high-growth gift and beauty supplier is seeking an experienced stock and demmand planner to join their dynamic team. The ideal candidate will have a robust background in forecasting product demand, placing purchase orders, setting up new products on the ERP system including barcodes, pack sizes etc. We are looking for someone who has previous experience delaing with factories in the Far East etc.
Duties as Stock and Demand Planner will include:
• Setting up of new stock codes and relevant static data supplied by Product Development
• Consolidate all individual forecasts from the sales team, cross-referencing these against historical sales data to produce a combined stock forecasts for repeat orders.
• Raising and managing purchase orders based on forecasts and sales input, ensuring timely placement and alignment with demand.
• Liaising with suppliers to ensure lead times are communicated accurately to ensure optimum stock flow through the business.
• Accurately book incoming stock into the inventory management system, ensuring that all data is correctly recorded and reconciled with purchase orders to maintain up-to-date inventory records.
• Process supplier invoices
• Continuously monitoring inventory levels and sales performance, making adjustments to forecasts and orders as necessary to prevent stockouts or overstock situations.
• Working closely with Account Managers throughout peak periods to gather and refine sales forecasts, ensuring alignment between sales projections, live rate of sales and actual stock availability.
• For new product lines, working with NPD to place initial orders and track sales performance against forecasts, making adjustments as needed to optimise stock levels.
• Collaborate with the shipping team to ensure timely delivery of all new and repeat orders and help resolve any logistical issues that may arise.
• Prepare regular reports on stock levels, forecast accuracy, and inventory turnover to share with management and stakeholders.
• Managing stock discontinuations in order to replace stock with all-year-round and seasonal ranges
• Identify opportunities for process enhancements in stock management and forecasting to increase efficiency and accuracy.
The ideal Wholesale Demand Planner will have the following qualities:
• Proven experience in a stock planning or demand planning role within an FMCG brand.
• Experience working closely with factories and suppliers, ideally in the Far East – raising and placing POs is essential.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and make informed decisions.
• Proficiency in inventory management software and Excel; experience with ERP systems is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Detail-oriented mindset with strong organisational and multitasking abilities.
• Ability to work independently and proactively identify and resolve issues.
• Knowledge of supply chain principles and best practices in stock management