Demand Planner

Advocate Group; Warrington; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Group is seeking a Demand Planner to join its growing supply chain team. You will own demand forecasting across a diverse product portfolio, building and maintaining accurate forecasts, analyzing trends, and aligning demand with business objectives in a long lead-time, overseas-sourced environment.

The role is hands-on and data-driven, requiring collaboration with sales, marketing and finance to capture demand drivers and support planning processes to ensure product availability.

Qualifications

• Experience in Demand Planning or Supply Planning.
• Experience with long lead-time supply chains (ideally overseas sourcing).
• Comfortable managing forecasts over a 4+ month horizon.
• Experience working with large SKU ranges, including long-tail or spare parts.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong data analysis capability.
• Experience using ERP systems (or similar planning tools).
• Strong understanding of forecasting principles and demand variability.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
• Confident communicator, able to work cross-functionally.
• Proactive, solutions-focused, and driven to improve processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop rolling demand forecasts (4+ months horizon).
• Analyse historical data, trends, and inputs to build forecasts.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and identify improvement opportunities.
• Drive improvements in forecast accuracy and performance.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and finance to capture demand drivers.
• Support S&OP processes and demand reviews.
• Work with supply planning to align demand and supply plans.
• Manage demand across core products and large spare parts portfolios.
• Support stock availability while balancing inventory and working capital.
• Operate in a long lead-time environment (16 weeks, overseas supply).
• Produce regular reporting and insights using ERP and Excel.
• Maintain high data accuracy across planning systems.

Skills

Forecasting

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Attention to detail

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Do you enjoy building forecasts that actually drive business decisions?

Are you confident managing demand in complex, long lead-time supply chains?

Want to play a key role in improving availability, accuracy, and performance in a growing global business?

We’re looking for aDemand Plannerto join a fast-evolving supply chain team within an international business undergoing a major transformation in how products are sourced and delivered.

This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who enjoys the analytical side of planning, thrives on improving processes, and wants to make a tangible impact on forecast accuracy and supply chain performance.

If you’re passionate about data, forecasting, and turning insight into action, this is your chance to be part of a high-performing operations team.

The Company

A leading international business operating across the consumer and technical product space, this organisation has built a strong reputation for quality, innovation, and customer focus.

With a growing global footprint, the business is currently evolving its supply chain model, moving towards increased overseas sourcing and longer lead-time planning. This transformation is creating exciting opportunities within the planning function to drive improvement, efficiency, and performance.

The Role

Reporting into the Demand & Supply Planning Manager, you’ll take ownership of demand forecasting across a diverse product portfolio.

This is a hands-on, data-driven role where you’ll be responsible for building and maintaining accurate forecasts, analysing trends, and working cross-functionally to align demand with business objectives.

You’ll play a key role in improving forecast accuracy, supporting planning processes, and ensuring product availability in an environment with long lead times and international supply.

Key Responsibilities

• Developing and maintaining rolling demand forecasts (4+ months horizon)
• Analysing historical data, trends, and commercial inputs to build accurate forecasts
• Monitoring forecast accuracy and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Driving improvements in forecast accuracy (targeting significant uplift)
• Collaborating with sales, marketing, and finance teams to capture demand drivers
• Supporting S&OP processes and demand reviews
• Working closely with supply planning to align demand and supply plans
• Managing demand across both core product ranges and large spare parts portfolios
• Supporting stock availability while balancing inventory and working capital
• Operating in a long lead-time environment (circa 16 weeks, overseas supply)
• Producing regular reporting and insights using ERP systems and Excel
• Maintaining high levels of data accuracy across planning systems

What We’re Looking For

• Experience in Demand Planning or Supply Planning
• Strong experience working with long lead-time supply chains (ideally overseas sourcing)
• Comfortable managing forecasts over a 4+ month horizon
• Experience working with large SKU ranges, including long-tail or spare parts
• Advanced Excel skills and strong data analysis capability
• Experience using ERP systems (or similar planning tools)
• Strong understanding of forecasting principles and demand variability
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Confident communicator, able to work cross-functionally
• Proactive, solutions-focused, and driven to improve processes

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.