Chief Planning & Supply Chain Architect

Thales Group; Crawley; On-site; GBP 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Pension scheme

4 day week

28 days annual leave

Performance bonus

Car allowance

Life cover

Volunteer days

Job summary

Thales Group is seeking a Head of Planning and Logistics to lead strategy, governance, and performance across planning and logistics. You will champion professionalisation, drive S&OP, and ensure material and information flow from suppliers to customers with minimal disruption.

You will lead cross-functional teams, implement ERP-enabled planning, and drive continuous improvement across procurement, manufacturing, engineering, and projects.

Qualifications

• Senior planning or supply chain leadership within industrial/manufacturing environments.
• Experience in inventory optimization and flow management.
• Strong track record in ERP/MES implementation and improvement.
• End-to-end understanding of supply chain disciplines.
• Willingness to achieve APICS certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Planning function and governance aligning with operational and strategic objectives.
• Deliver robust S&OP processes and resilient supply plans.
• Oversee planning of materials and resources in support of operating plans.
• Drive MRP2 practices and ERP-enabled planning processes.
• Provide supply chain performance insights to inform decisions.
• Lead logistics operations and 3PL/4PL relationships as applicable.
• Manage inventory strategy and flows from receipt to despatch.
• Support production and repair units to meet delivery targets.
• Contribute to evolving supply chain capabilities including tools and processes.
• Embed Lean thinking to reduce lead times and WIP.

Skills

Multi-site supply chain

MRP2/ERP data-driven decisions

Lean & continuous improvement

Change leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

People development

Education

APICS certification (or willingness to achieve)

Tools

ERP systems

MES implementations

MRP2 governance

Job description

Thales Group is seeking a Head of Planning and Logistics to lead strategy, governance, and performance across planning and logistics. You will champion professionalisation, drive S&OP, and ensure material and information flow from suppliers to customers with minimal disruption.

You will lead cross-functional teams, implement ERP-enabled planning, and drive continuous improvement across procurement, manufacturing, engineering, and projects.