Demand Planning Manager

Pod Talent; Slough; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Pod Talent is seeking a Demand Manager for Berkshire to lead the S&OP process and align demand across Sales, Marketing, and central Supply Chain teams. This role centers on creating accurate forecasts, balancing product availability, and supporting customer satisfaction through robust stock management.

You will build consensus on demand plans, manage a capable team, and drive continuous improvement in forecasting accuracy while collaborating with commercial and supply teams to execute informed,

Qualifications

• Experience as Demand Manager or Senior Demand Planner in FMCG.
• Strong forecasting and S&OP knowledge.
• Proven analytics and dashboard reporting skills.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
• Direct line management experience is important.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the sales and operations planning process to build robust, accurate, and aligned demand plans across the market.
• Manage and develop the demand team, ensuring processes are consistently implemented while driving performance and improvement.
• Analyse demand and forecast outputs to identify risks, opportunities, trends and deviations, taking corrective action to improve forecast accuracy.
• Partner with Sales and other stakeholders to reflect short-term opportunities and medium-to-long-term plans in the demand plan while balancing stock and customer satisfaction.
• Lead initiatives around stock management and obsolete stock, representing demand planning in commercial reviews and improvement projects.

Skills

Forecasting

Demand planning

S&OP

Stakeholder mgmt

Leadership

Analytics

Job description

Demand Manager | Berkshire | 3 days in the office | competitive salary

I am working with an FMCG business who is looking for a Demand Manager to join their team in Berkshire (3 days in the office).

In this role, you will lead the sales and operations planning process for the market, ensuring forecasts are accurate, robust and aligned across the business. You will work closely with Sales, Marketing and the central Supply Chain teams to build consensus around demand plans, support product availability and deliver a high level of customer satisfaction while optimising stock levels.

In this role,

You will:

• Lead and continuously improve the sales and operations planning process, bringing together multiple data inputs and stakeholders to build robust, accurate and aligned demand plans across the market.
• Manage and develop the demand team, ensuring processes are consistently implemented while driving strong performance, capability and continuous improvement.
• Analyse demand and forecast outputs to identify risks, opportunities, trends and significant deviations, taking corrective action to improve forecast accuracy, minimise bias and support effective decision‑making.
• Partner closely with Sales and other key stakeholders to ensure short-term commercial opportunities and medium to long-term promotional plans are reflected in the demand plan, while balancing product availability, customer satisfaction and optimum stock levels.
• Lead initiatives around low-turnover and obsolete stock, represent demand planning priorities with key internal and continental stakeholders, and act as a trusted Supply Chain representative in commercial reviews and continuous improvement projects.

About you:

• Demonstrable experience as a Demand Manager or Senior Demand Planner, ideally within a consumer-led or FMCG environment, with wider supply chain experience within Consumer Electronics being highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of forecasting, demand planning and S&OP.
• Strong analytical and reporting capabilities, with experience building and visualising dashboards to clearly communicate trends and insights to management.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence decision‑making at all levels and align competing commercial and inventory priorities.
• Direct line management and people development experience is important.