Planning Excellence Lead

ENGINEERINGUK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global healthcare company is seeking a Planning Excellence Lead to oversee supply chain planning execution, ensuring reliable processes and measurable results. This role involves optimizing planning systems and collaborating with multiple stakeholders to embed best practices across functions. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in supply chain functions, exceptional communication skills, and a strong foundation in analytics and project management. The position offers a hybrid working model, based in London, with a strong focus on continuous improvement.

Benefits

Hybrid working model

Comprehensive health benefits

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in supply chain planning within a large, complex organization.
• Proven track record of leading large cross-functional programs.
• Practical experience implementing analytics and automation in planning processes.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver key planning processes including the annual budget process.
• Develop and optimize planning processes and cadences.
• Design and support cross-functional programs for inventory outcomes.
• Establish and sustain a performance management framework.
• Collaborate with IT and Analytics to simplify systems and data landscape.

Skills

Supply Chain Planning

Inventory Optimization

Demand & Supply Balancing

Data Analysis

Project Management

Exceptional Communication

Education

Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Finance, Data Science or related field

Advanced degree or relevant certification

Tools

Enterprise ERPs

Job description

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Site Name: UK - London - New Oxford Street, Aranda, Belgium-Wavre, Poznan Grunwaldzka
Posted Date: Dec 5 2025

Planning Excellence Lead

Business Introduction

GSK remains committed to achieving bold commercial ambitions for the future. By 2031, we aim to deliver £40 billion in annual sales, leveraging our existing strong performance momentum to significantly increase our positive impact on the health of billions of patients globally. Our Ahead Together strategy is centred on early intervention to prevent and alter the course of disease, thereby protecting people and supporting healthcare systems. Our diverse portfolio consists of vaccines, specialty medicines, and general medicines. Through continuous innovation and a dedicated focus on scientific and technical excellence, we strive to develop and launch new, groundbreaking treatments that address critical health challenges.

Position Summary

We are looking for an experienced Director in Supply Chain Planning Excellence to be accountable for end to end planning execution and deliver measurable business results, including a high quality, auditable annual budget plan aligned to demand, manufacturing and inventory targets. The role will lead improvements in planning processes, tools and ways of working in collaboration with Global Process Owners and Capability Leads to enable faster, more confident decision making and resilient supply chain outcomes. Working across demand, manufacturing and inventory topics as priorities evolve, the Director will focus on embedding planning best practice, strengthening performance management, and enabling effective use of analytics and automation. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating across functional boundaries, simplifying complex topics for different audiences, and influencing change across a large planning community.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver key planning processes such as the annual budget process, accountable for a high-quality, complete and auditable budget plan that balances demand, manufacturing and inventory requirements and meets agreed financial and operational targets.
• Develop and optimize planning processes and cadences to improve readiness, responsiveness and decision support, using process design, automation and analytics where appropriate.
• Design and support cross-functional programs that improve inventory outcomes, working capital efficiency and service performance, with clear objectives and measurable indicators.
• Establish and sustain a performance management framework (metrics, SLAs, reporting cadence and governance) to increase transparency, accountability and continuous improvement across planning teams.
• Collaborate with IT, Data & Analytics, Transformation, Global Process Owners and Capability Leads to simplify the systems and data landscape, support robust dataflows and deliver fit for purpose tools and dashboards.
• Translate complex planning concepts into clear, actionable messages for different audiences (operational teams, senior leaders, Finance, Commercial) and support stakeholder engagement.
• Lead change management and capability uplift in partnership with Global Process Owners and Capability Leads through coaching, training and practical support to drive adoption of new ways of working and technologies.

Qualifications / Skills

Basic Qualifications

• Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Finance, Data Science or related field; advanced degree or relevant certification a plus.
• Extensive experience in supply chain planning, inventory optimization, demand & supply balancing and/or integrated business planning within a large, complex, multi site organisation.
• Proven track record of leading large cross functional programs and operating model transformations (including continuous improvement ideally within the pharmaceutical or highly regulated industries).
• Practical experience implementing analytics, automation and AI in planning processes; able to translate data science into business value and explain outputs to non technical stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication skills - able to simplify complexity, build alignment and influence stakeholders from shop floor planners to senior executives.
• Strong project/program management skills, including governance, stakeholder engagement and benefit tracking.
• Hands on curiosity and intellectual rigor with the ability to dive into data, challenge assumptions and design pragmatic solutions.
• Comfort working with multiple planning systems and enterprise ERPs, and experience in systems rationalization or implementation projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic thinker with bias for action and deliverable orientation.
• Collaborative and stakeholder centric; builds trust quickly.
• Resilient and adaptable in ambiguous environments.
• Coaching mindset; promotes learning and continuous improvement.
• Data driven decision maker with strong business judgment.

Work Location

This role is based in the United Kingdom (GSK HQ, London) or Wavre, Belgium, Aranda, Spain or Poznan, Poland and offers a hybrid working model, combining on-site and remote work.

Closing Date for Applications

19th December 2025

GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.