Demand Manager

EMBS Talent Group; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

EMBS Talent in the East Midlands region seeks a Demand Manager to own the customer demand process within a busy manufacturing environment. You will lead a small planning and purchasing team and work closely with the Manufacturing Manager to align production plans with customer requirements.

The role focuses ~80% on planning and SIOP, with ~20% on purchasing and supply chain management. A data-driven approach, Excel expertise, and ERP experience (SAP/Javelin) are essential for success.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in demand, planning or supply chain management within manufacturing.
• Experience owning or contributing to a SIOP process.
• Data-driven with strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, dashboards).
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP or Javelin.

Responsibilities

• Own and develop the customer demand management process aligned with production plans.
• Own the SIOP process and provide demand signals for sales, staffing and capacity.
• Produce summaries of order book movement and communicate deviations.
• Maintain KPI suite for sales and arrears trends (daily, weekly, monthly).
• Support customers in challenging conversations (arrears, shortages) with recovery plans.
• Lead two purchasing specialists and a production control team leader with oversight of stores and dispatch.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance across the external supply base.
• Coach the wider business in SIOP principles through daily/weekly reviews.

Skills

Demand planning

SIOP

Excel reporting

ERP systems

Team leadership

Tools

SAP

Javelin

Job description

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.

You will:

• 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.

• 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