Join Our Supply Team As the home of iconic brands such as Baileys, Guinness, Smirnoff, and Johnnie Walker, at Diageo we source, produce and deliver 6.5 billion litres of world-leading products every year across 180 markets globally. Because of this huge undertaking, we rely on highly advanced systems as well as the very best talent to make sure our businesses continue to run smoothly. The Material Planner is responsible for collaborating with cross-functional teams including operations, procurement, suppliers, and brand change teams to ensure timely availability of components based on demand forecasts. The role focuses on optimising end-to-end inventory management, including maintaining optimal safety stock levels to support seamless production and supply chain efficiency. The Material Planning Scotch & European Spirits Category team is pivotal in managing a highly complex ISC supply chain network, which services 180 countries. The team ensures smooth flow of over 11,000 components across more than 150 suppliers and 6 bottling sites, driving efficiency and collaboration to support global operations. Accountabilities and Responsibilities Support the development and renewal of the Category Operating Strategy (COS) and contribute to the Sales & Operating (S&OP) process. Drive long-term material capacity decisions and manage Category Business Continuity Plans (BCP), ensuring alignment with future business needs. Own and manage overall material inventory, including reducing slow-moving and obsolete stock (SLOB’s). Maintain optimal stock levels and safety stock models to balance availability and cost and prepare action plans to address excess inventory. Create and execute optimal material replenishment requirements and resolve exceptions. Collaborate with schedulers, production, procurement, and brand analyst teams to ensure material availability for both routine operations and innovation projects and to ensure allocated capacity and safety stocks are in place. Ensure clear visibility of material requirements to suppliers and procurement teams for tactical planning horizons. Oversee SKU productivity and gate control for new SKU/format creation, working with brand change and innovation teams to ensure smooth launches. Support brand change planning and innovation activities, ensuring material planning aligns with project timelines. Improve end-to-end supply chain value by optimising material flow and addressing any supply disruptions or conflicts. Lead resolution efforts for quality incidents, internal control issues, operational disruptions, and BCP activation. Lead and embed continuous improvement initiatives. Track and course-correct maturity improvement plans to achieve projected benefits. Deliver a balanced critical metric suite for material planning and ensuring ongoing coaching and development of material planning and scheduling teams. Provide proactive visibility into material requirements, trends, inventory projections, and risk mitigation plans. Represent the supply function in Rough Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) and balance demand and supply signals to meet strategic and annual targets. Skills and Experience Required Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Operations, or a related field (or equivalent experience). Several years Supply Chain Planning experience. Wider cross planning experience preferable including strong understanding of supply operational processes e.g. I&BC, RCCP, Segmentation, DRP, MPS, MRP or MSM. Systems experience within supply planning & optimisation platforms (ERP / master data, time-phased replenishment planning systems). Experience in S&OP with exposure to senior leadership teams. Leadership influencing and stakeholder engagement skills, including ability to challenge senior stakeholders and manage tension in demand/supply conversations. Exceptional communication skills – verbal, written and presentation. Strong statistical and analytical skills and attention to detail. High capability to simplify and prioritise what is complicated and/or complex. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel. Proficiency in analytical tools including Power BI & Tableau. Proficiency in planning tools including SAP APO, Robot & OMP or similar planning tools. Knowledge of supply chain management principles, including demand and inventory control. Working with Us Flexibility is key to success in our business and many of our people work flexibly in many different ways, including part-time, compressed hours, flexible location. Please talk to us about what flexibility means to you and don’t let anything stop you from applying. We offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including: Contemporary work life balance policies and wellbeing activities. Contributary pension scheme. Comprehensive health insurance. Annual bonus. Share options.