Inventory Planning Manager

Fox's Burton's Companies; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies, is seeking an Inventory Control Manager at our Liverpool DHL Hub. You will lead inventory planning, governance, and performance across our 3PL network, ensuring stock is in the right place at the right time and in alignment with S&OP.

You will collaborate with Demand Planning, Finance, Manufacturing, and customers to balance service, working capital, and waste reduction, while driving audit readiness and stock accuracy across SAP and WMS platforms.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in inventory planning/stock control within FMCG/logistics.
• Strong understanding of stock optimisation, product availability, and waste reduction.
• Experience with SAP/WMS and reconciliation processes.

Responsibilities

• Own inventory accuracy across 3PL network and drive KPI delivery.
• Governance and audit readiness for stock controls and data integrity.
• Collaborate with S&OP, Demand Planning, Finance and 3PL to align policies and replenishment.
• Deliver inventory performance reporting and insights for decision-making.
• Lead improvements to reduce waste, obsolescence, and write-offs.

Skills

Inventory planning

Inventory control

Supply planning

Stock management

Analytical thinking

Tools

SAP

WMS

Job description

We are FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies! ……And we bake the UK's most incredible biscuits (we might be slightly biased, but we will leave that for you to judge).

FBC UK was a match made in heaven, with two of the top UK biscuits manufacturers (Burton's Biscuits and Fox's Biscuits) coming together to create one unique, integrated company.

We are home to famous iconic brands, including Maryland, Fox's, Jammie Dodger & Rocky, to name just a few. We are proud manufacturing partners to some of the biggest UK retailers and household names. We bake our incredible biscuits at eight bakeries across the UK, located at Isle of Arran, Livingston, Blackpool, Llantarnam, Edinburgh, Kirkham, Batley & Dorset and our HQ in St Pauls. Together, we employ circa 4,000 amazing colleagues across all our locations.

Whilst we know that we have delicious products we also know that that the key ingredient to our success is our people, and the passion we have for our brands. You could be the jammy to our dodger, party ring to our Fox’s or the choc-chip to our Maryland?! We knead people with innovative ideas, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the commitment to drive FBC UK to success.

We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that feels empowered to build a fulfilling and successful career. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) we create a supportive environment for people to thrive and strive to have more positive impact.

We understand that having formal and on-the-job learning opportunities is key to our colleagues’ professional and personal growth. We are committed to providing an environment where everyone can learn from each other and grow through a variety of learning experiences.

Our colleagues make our business special. With strong community values, we believe FBC UK is a more prosperous and fun place to work when people feel free to be themselves. We believe in the power of being authentic, entrepreneurial and supporting each other whilst meeting our business goals.

About the Role

As Inventory Control Manager for FBC UKbased at our DHL Hub in Liverpool, you will play a critical role in ensuring the effective planning, control, and optimisation of inventory across our supply chain. Working closely with the S&OP process, you will lead inventory planning activities and drive inventory performance across our 3PL network, ensuring the right stock is in the right place at the right time.

Partnering with Demand Planning, Finance, Manufacturing, Customer Service, S&OP teams, 3PL providers, and customers, you will align forecasts, inventory policies, and replenishment strategies to balance service, availability, and working capital objectives. Through a data-driven approach, you will identify opportunities to optimise stock levels, improve inventory health, and enhance overall supply chain resilience..

You will also champion inventory accuracy and governance, ensuring robust controls, audit-ready standards, and high levels of stock integrity across both physical and system inventories. By driving continuous improvement initiatives, you will reduce waste, obsolescence, and write-offs while delivering clear performance metrics and sustainable improvements in inventory efficiency and customer service.

Main Responsibilities

Inventory Accuracy & Control

• Own and drive inventory accuracy across our 3PL network, ensuring delivery of key KPIs relating to cycle count compliance, stock variance, and system integrity.
• Maintain robust controls across inventory transactions, including IDOCs, ASNs, QA holds, delists, claims, and stock movements.
• Lead the reconciliation, governance, and control of stock adjustments, identifying root causes and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Partner with Logistics Stock Control teams and 3PL providers to investigate inventory discrepancies, strengthen controls, and improve stock visibility.
• Collaborate with S&OP teams to align inventory strategies with demand and supply plans, improving product availability while minimising waste and excess stock.

Demand & Supply Alignment

• Ensure inventory policies and stock levels are optimised to support forecasted demand, customer service targets, and business objectives.
• Support the S&OP process by providing inventory insights, risk assessments, and recommendations to improve decision-making.
• Drive inventory optimisation initiatives that balance service levels, working capital, and stock health across the supply chain.

Reporting & Analysis

• Develop and deliver insightful inventory performance reporting, highlighting risks, opportunities, trends, and required actions.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting on inventory accuracy, claims, write-offs, storage costs, and inventory health metrics.
• Lead initiatives to improve stock visibility, reduce inventory days, and support working capital improvement targets through data-driven analysis.

Governance, Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Own inventory planning standards, policies, controls, and governance processes across the 3PL network and Logistics Stock Control team.
• Ensure full compliance with internal policies, BRC standards, audit requirements, and business control frameworks.
• Drive audit readiness through effective process control, system governance, and data integrity across SAP, WMS, and reporting platforms.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships with Demand Planning, S&OP, Operations, Manufacturing, Finance, Customer Service, and external logistics providers to optimise inventory performance.
• Act as the key inventory lead with 3PL partners, driving accountability, performance improvement, and issue resolution.
• Represent Inventory Planning within governance forums, supporting internal and external audit activities and business reviews.
• Lead inventory improvement initiatives focused on reducing waste, obsolescence, write-offs, and excess stock across the 3PL network.
• Drive enhancements in reporting, data quality, inventory processes, and system capabilities to improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to strengthen planning, forecasting, inventory control, and supply chain performance.

Who we are looking for

• Proven experience in Inventory Planning, Inventory Control, Supply Planning, or Stock Management, ideally within an FMCG, manufacturing, logistics, or 3PL environment.
• Strong understanding of inventory management principles, stock optimisation strategies, product availability, waste reduction, and write-off management.
• Experience working with SAP, WMS platforms, and inventory processes including IDOC management, ASNs, QA holds, claims, and stock reconciliation.
• Highly analytical with the ability to interpret, challenge, and translate complex data into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Experience producing and analysing inventory KPIs, performance dashboards, and management reports to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Proven ability to identify trends, risks, and opportunities to improve inventory performance, stock accuracy, and working capital.
• Strong understanding of inventory governance, audit requirements, process controls, and compliance standards, with knowledge of BRC or similar frameworks desirable.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across Planning, Operations, Manufacturing, Finance, Customer Service, and external logistics partners.
• Confident communicator who can influence, challenge constructively, and drive accountability at all levels of the organisation.
• Passionate about accuracy, data integrity, and continuous improvement, with a proactive approach to problem-solving and delivering sustainable solutions.
• Highly organised and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and perform effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated, resilient, and results-focused, with a commitment to improving processes, controls, and overall inventory performance.

Diversity Statement

FBC UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at FBC UK. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.