Inventory & Materials Planner: Data-Driven & ERP Savvy

Vickerstock; Northern Ireland; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Discretionary bonus 10%

Income protection

Life assurance

33 days holiday

Job summary

Vickerstock are partnering with a major manufacturing business to appoint a Materials & Inventory Analyst on a full-time permanent basis. The role focuses on ensuring material availability, supporting production, and improving inventory performance across the business.

The successful candidate will be highly data-focused, proficient with Excel, and experienced using an MRP/ERP system to convert demand and stock data into practical planning actions, supporting procurement and production planning.

Qualifications

• Experience in inventory planning within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical ability with the capacity to interpret complex data and translate it into actionable steps.
• Advanced Excel skills, including large datasets, lookups, pivot tables, and reporting tools.
• Practical experience using an MRP/ERP system for inventory management, material planning, replenishment, or reporting.
• Understanding of inventory principles: stock turns, safety stock, lead times, service levels, and obsolescence management.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and maintain appropriate inventory levels across raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods.
• Analyse demand, stock, and supply data to identify shortages, excess stock, slow-moving inventory, and obsolescence risks.
• Create replenishment plans and purchase recommendations aligned with forecasts, lead times, and production needs.
• Use MRP/ERP systems to maintain planning parameters, review material requirements, and resolve exceptions.
• Collaborate with Procurement and suppliers to ensure continuity of supply and proactively manage material availability issues.
• Support Production Planning by ensuring materials are available to meet production schedules and customer requirements.
• Produce regular inventory reports and dashboards covering stock levels, turns, service performance, aged stock, and planning risks.
• Investigate inventory discrepancies, support cycle counts, stock reconciliations, and inventory accuracy initiatives.
• Contribute to S&OP, demand planning, and wider continuous-improvement activity.
• Identify opportunities to improve inventory processes, reporting, system usage, and planning accuracy.
• Communicate inventory risks, root causes, and proposed actions clearly to internal stakeholders.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical thinking

Inventory planning

Data interpretation

Stakeholder communication

Tools

MRP/ERP systems

Job description

Vickerstock are partnering with a major manufacturing business to appoint a Materials & Inventory Analyst on a full-time permanent basis. The role focuses on ensuring material availability, supporting production, and improving inventory performance across the business.

The successful candidate will be highly data-focused, proficient with Excel, and experienced using an MRP/ERP system to convert demand and stock data into practical planning actions, supporting procurement and production planning.