Demand Manager

EMBS Engineering; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Close-knit team

Exposure to senior leadership

Clear route to progression

Job summary

EMBS Talent is partnering with a precision manufacturing business in Derby to appoint a Demand Manager. You will own the customer demand process, drive SIOP, and lead a small planning and purchasing team to ensure production plans meet customer needs.

You will work closely with the Manufacturing Manager to align production with demand, monitor the order book, and develop dashboards and KPI reporting. A data-driven, ERP-experienced candidate is sought.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in demand, planning or supply chain roles within manufacturing.
• Experience owning or contributing to SIOP processes.
• Data-driven with advanced Excel skills and dashboard reporting.
• Familiarity with ERP systems such as SAP or Javelin.

Responsibilities

• Own and develop the customer demand management process with production planning alignment.
• Lead the SIOP process and provide clear demand signals for decisions on sales and capacity.
• Manage and develop a small planning and purchasing team (two buyers, team lead).
• Monitor order book, arrears, and deviations; communicate with stakeholders daily.
• Maintain KPI suite for sales trends, arrears and forecast accuracy.
• Support challenging conversations with customers regarding shipments and arrears.

Skills

Demand planning

SIOP

ERP systems

Excel dashboards

Tools

Excel

SAP

Javelin

Job description

Demand Manager

Location: Derby

Permanent / Contract: Permanent

Overview

EMBS Talent is working in partnership with a well-established precision manufacturing business, based in Derby, that is currently in the market for a Demand Manager to join their Supply Chain and Production department on a permanent basis. This organisation supplies into high-volume manufacturing markets and works with a broad customer base, making order book accuracy and forecasting central to how the business runs. Due to a planned departure within the team, our client is seeking an experienced Demand Manager to own the customer demand process and lead a small planning and purchasing team.

Your responsibilities will include

As Demand Manager, you will own and develop the customer demand management process, working closely with the Manufacturing Manager to keep production plans aligned with customer requirements. Around 80% of the role is focused on planning and SIOP (Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning), with the remaining 20% covering purchasing and supply chain management.

• Act as the main point of escalation for customer order book queries, working closely with the production control team who manage day-to-day customer contact.
• Closely monitor and manage the sales order book, ensuring it reflects the latest customer requirements at all times.
• Own the SIOP process, providing a clear and well-understood demand signal to support decisions on sales, staffing and machine capacity.
• Produce detailed summaries of order book movement, identifying and communicating any deviations as they arise.
• Build and maintain a KPI suite covering sales and arrears trends on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
• Support customers directly on more challenging conversations, including short shipments, mis-shipments and arrears, putting recovery plans in place where needed.
• Manage and develop a team made up of two purchasing specialists and a production control team leader, who in turn leads three production controllers, with direct oversight of stores, goods-in and dispatch.
• Manage day-to-day supplier relationships and operational performance across the external supply base.
• Work with accountable managers to coach and embed SIOP principles across the wider business through the standard daily and weekly review meetings.

What's in it for you?

Stability / Longevity: the opportunity to join a growing manufacturing business and take ownership of a process that is central to how the company runs.

Competitive salary: a competitive salary is on offer, dependent on experience.

Hours: Days, with flexible start and finish times as outlined above.

Benefits

• A close-knit team environment with genuine influence over process and outcomes
• Direct exposure to senior leadership and a clear route to build on your experience
• The chance to work with a business that values team fit as much as technical skill

Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate

• Proven experience in a demand, planning or supply chain management role within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience owning or contributing to a SIOP (Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning) process.
• A data-driven approach, with strong Excel skills including VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and building reporting dashboards.
• Experience working within an ERP system such as SAP, Javelin, or similar, with the ability to pick up new systems quickly.
• Confidence managing customer-facing conversations, including around arrears and delivery issues.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work closely alongside a Manufacturing Manager and wider operational teams.
• Experience managing or supporting a purchasing function is desirable but not essential, as full training and support will be provided.
• Background in aerospace or fabrication environments is an advantage; candidates from a warehousing-only background will not be suitable for this role.

About us:

EMBS Talent is a dedicated talent specialist that partners with some of the UK's most established precision engineering and manufacturing companies within the Aerospace, Automotive / Motorsport, Nuclear, Oil & Gas, Green, Environmental, and FMCG industries.

We offer expert support and advice throughout the process to help you find and secure a career-defining role