Inventory, Planning and Supply Chain Leader
First City Recruitment Ltd
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
First City Recruitment Ltd is recruiting an experienced Inventory, Planning & Supply Chain Leader in Ipswich. You will own material scheduling, production planning and supplier relationships, ensuring on‑time fulfillment while optimizing stock levels and cost efficiency.
You will lead a skilled materials and supply chain team, drive LEAN and MRP practices, and partner with Finance, Sales, and R&D to deliver continuous improvement and robust planning across the business.
Qualifications
- Strong manufacturing background with planning and scheduling experience.
- Experience leading and developing teams within materials, planning or supply chain.
- Proven ability to manage inventories and optimize stock levels.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage materials/supply chain team members.
- Schedule, plan, procure and monitor materials to meet production demands.
- Lead the release of Work Orders for manufactured items and ensure material availability.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for an experienced Inventory, Planning & Supply Chain Leader to join a well-established manufacturing business based in Ipswich. This is a varied, hands‑on leadership role with responsibility for inventory management, production planning, materials and the external supply chain. You'll work closely with Production, Sales, Finance, R&D and the global service team, while also leading and supporting members of the materials and supply chain team. We're looking for someone with a strong manufacturing background who can combine hands‑on planning and inventory expertise with the ability to lead others, make decisions and drive continuous improvement.
- You'll take ownership of material scheduling and production planning to ensure customer demand is fulfilled, while maintaining appropriate stock levels and managing materials throughout the product lifecycle.
- You'll lead the scheduling and release of Work Orders for manufactured items and ensure sufficient materials are available for production and service requirements.
- A key part of the position will be driving effective material pull systems, including Min/Max, Kanban and MRP, to ensure target shipment dates and pull-forwards are achieved. You'll guide buyers on tactical execution and lead the wider supply chain team to ensure supplier performance supports business and customer requirements.
- You'll also work closely with Finance on annual and periodic cycle counts, inventory accuracy and material queries, while identifying opportunities to reduce costs and improve stock control.
- Salary up to GBP48,000 DOE
- 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
- Free on‑site parking
- Healthcare cash plan
- Bonus scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Access to a staff discount website
- Peer-to-peer recognition platform
- Supportive, close‑knit working environment
- Varied position with genuine ownership
- Opportunity to influence processes and improve planning performance
- Stable, well‑established manufacturing business
- Long-term development opportunities
- Lead and manage members of the materials/supply chain team, including buyers
- Schedule, plan, procure and monitor materials to meet production and customer requirements
- Lead the scheduling and release of Work Orders for manufactured items
- Manage inventory levels and ensure sufficient materials are available for production and service
- Utilise ERP systems and LEAN material pull methods including Min/Max, Kanban and MRP
- Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date inventory and master parts data
- Analyse inventory and supply‑chain data to identify opportunities for improvement
- Drive inventory levels against agreed targets
- Develop and maintain effective inventory and material‑control processes
- Work with Finance to resolve material and supply queries and support cycle counts
- Lead the supply chain team to improve supplier performance and ensure customer demand is met
- Work closely with Sales, Warehouse, Manufacturing, R&D and Production Engineering
- Support the NPD process by defining suppliers and procuring materials
- Ensure new parts are correctly created and maintained within the ERP system
- Drive material cost improvements through PPV projects and support VAVE activities
- Work with suppliers to mitigate potential material cost increases
- Identify and implement continuous‑improvement initiatives across inventory, planning and supply chain
- A strong manufacturing background, with planning and scheduling experience
- Previous experience managing or leading others, ideally within materials, planning, purchasing or supply chain
- Strong inventory and materials‑management experience
- Experience using ERP systems such as Syspro, SAP, Oracle, Dynamics, Epicor or Sage
- Knowledge and practical experience of LEAN material/supply‑chain practices, including Min/Max, Kanban and MRP
- A degree‑level qualification or a relevant professional qualification such as CIPS
- Strong Excel skills
- Good understanding of supply‑chain processes
- Strong analytical, planning and problem‑solving abilities
- A proactive approach to continuous improvement
- Confidence making decisions and working with a sense of urgency
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and perform well under pressure
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to the wider team
- Experience procuring direct materials
- Experience working with scientific products
- Knowledge of SQL, database querying and integration with Excel
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