Inventory Planner

Lotus Bakeries; St Albans; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Lotus Natural Foods, the healthy snacking division of Lotus Bakeries, is seeking an Inventory Planner to join our UK team in St Albans. This full-time role is based on-site, four days a week, at our St Albans offices.

You will monitor inventory levels, place supplier orders, and coordinate with procurement, sales and logistics to maintain service levels and optimize costs. A data-driven mindset and SAP experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical mindset with ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Experience using SAP or similar ERP systems for inventory planning.
• Proven ability to collaborate across functions (procurement, sales, logistics).

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyse inventory levels to ensure optimal stock.
• Place orders with suppliers to replenish inventory as needed.
• Coordinate with procurement, sales and logistics to align inventory with business needs.
• Identify and mitigate risks of shortages or excesses.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Inventory optimization

Data visualization

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP

Job description

Lotus Natural Foods, the healthy snacking division of Lotus Bakeries and a portfolio of 5 incredible brands; BEAR, TREK, nakd. Kiddylicious and Peter’s Yard, all having their own distinct proposition and role within our business.

We have great ambitions for all our brands, ensuring that as a business we deliver sustainable growth over the long-term. We believe that taste and quality are 100% of what underpins us as brand leaders within our categories, and what pulls us apart from our competitors. All of our brands started right here in the UK, as the first market for distribution, but over the years we can now be found across the globe, our ranges have got bigger, along with us as a business.

To date we have achieved so much, but there is still plenty of room to grow further and that means we need more brilliant people, those that share an ambition for making a difference and want to join us in delivering the next chapter of growth. Fancy getting involved, then read on…

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a growing company and to put your entrepreneurial skills to the test. As the Inventory Planner, you will:

• Monitor and analyse inventory levels to ensure optimal stock levels.
• Place orders with suppliers to replenish inventory as needed.
• Coordinate with procurement, sales, and logistics teams to align inventory levels with business needs.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to inventory shortages or excesses.
• Develop and implement inventory control procedures and best practices.
• Conduct regular inventory audits and reconcile discrepancies.
• Prepare and present inventory reports to management.
• Optimize inventory turnover rates to minimizes holding costs.
• Collaborate with the finance team to manage inventory budgets and forecasts.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to inventory managements.
• Support continuous improvement initiative within the supply chain department.

Reporting into

Head of Inventory

About You

Are you someone who has a flair for numbers and data, with the ability to think analytically and optimize efficiency whilst working collaboratively with other functions?

Our Supply Chain team have a passion in ensuring customer satisfaction, whilst pushing and maintain efficiency.

Alongside living our TOP values, we are looking for someone with:

• Passion: You have a love for data and using analytical tools. Translating data/numbers into action is your thing.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in tools such as SAP.
• You take service level targets and forecast accuracy as input to generate performance inventory plans. Confidence in decision-making responsibilities.
• Experience: 1-2 years of work experience, preferably in FMCG or retail industries.
• Collaborative Spirit: A friendly, proactive and positive attitude, with strong communication skills and a willingness to learn.
• Organization Skills: Ability to manage time and prioritise tasks in a fast-paced environment

Team

• Be a team player, we all get stuck in to achieve results here at Lotus Natural Foods and we love our team to look beyond their own role, whether that be contributing to workshops or building upon ideas to amplify the overall result that perhaps sit outside of your role.
• Culture is hugely important to us here at Lotus Natural Foods and we look to our employees to positively contribute to that.

Other key requirements:

• Right-To-Work within the UK (without sponsorship)
• Minimum Education to Bachelors Degree level

Please note this role is a full-time position at our beautiful offices in St Albans, with four days a week spent on-site. Please only proceed if this works for you.