Inventory Planner

The Advocate Group; England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment partner in FMCG is seeking an experienced Inventory Planner to manage inventory levels and ensure stock accuracy using SAP. This role involves critical inventory reconciliation, reporting, and collaboration across teams in a dynamic environment. The ideal candidate should have a background in FMCG or retail, with strong SAP skills, advanced Excel proficiency, and the ability to prioritize tasks. A collaborative culture and opportunities for career development are offered.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in Inventory Planner or similar roles within FMCG or retail.
• Strong knowledge of SAP MM or APO modules.
• Excellent Excel skills for data management and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage stock integrity and availability using SAP for multiple SKUs.
• Conduct inventory reconciliation and variance analysis.
• Maintain dashboards to track KPIs related to inventory.

Skills

SAP experience

Inventory reconciliation

Data analysis

Advanced Excel skills

Detail-oriented

Communication

Job description

Are you an experienced Inventory Planner with a strong SAP background, looking to deepen your impact within a fast‑paced FMCG or retail environment? This is an opportunity to join a well‑established consumer goods business, supporting inventory accuracy, availability, and reporting across a high‑volume, multi‑SKU operation.

The Company

A highly respected consumer goods organisation operating across the UK and international markets, this business is known for its strong brand portfolio, robust supply chain infrastructure, and commitment to continuous improvement. With a collaborative and commercially minded culture, the company offers long‑term development opportunities within supply chain and operations.

The Role

Sitting within the Supply Chain function, the Inventory Planner will play a critical role in managing stock integrity and availability, with a particular focus on SAP driven planning, reconciliation, and performance reporting. You ll work closely with Operations, Demand Planning, Finance, and Commercial teams to ensure inventory accuracy while balancing service level and working capital targets.

This role is well‑suited to someone coming from an FMCG or retail background, comfortable working with complex data, tight timelines, and high stock turnover.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage inventory levels across multiple SKUs and locations using SAP, ensuring availability and service targets are consistently met.
• Own inventory reconciliation processes, including cycle counts, stock adjustments, variance investigation, and month‑end close support.
• Produce and maintain inventory reports and dashboards, tracking KPIs such as stock cover, availability, slow‑moving and obsolete stock.
• Work closely with Demand Planning to align forecasts, promotions, and replenishment plans.
• Support purchase order planning and stock movements in line with lead times, capacity, and operational constraints.
• Partner with Operations and Finance to resolve discrepancies and improve stock accuracy.
• Identify risks and opportunities within inventory performance, recommending corrective actions where required.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across SAP processes, data accuracy, and reporting standards.

What We re Looking For

• Proven experience in an Inventory Planner / Inventory Coordinator / Stock Analyst role within FMCG or retail.
• Strong SAP experience (MM, APO, or similar modules highly desirable).
• Solid experience with inventory reconciliation, reporting and variance analysis.
• Advanced Excel skills for data analysis and reporting (pivot tables, lookups, etc.).
• Highly organised, detail‑focused, and comfortable managing competing priorities.
• Confident communicator with the ability to work cross‑functionally in a fast‑paced environment.

Interested? Click Apply or email your CV to (url removed)

The Advocate Group is a leading recruitment partner to the FMCG and consumer product sectors. 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.
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