Stock Manager

Hedges Direct; Preston; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Hedges Direct in Preston seeks a Stock Manager to ensure optimal stock levels across categories, balancing demand, capacity, and costs. You will manage inventory data in Business Central, coordinate with Buying and Trading teams, and drive continuous improvement in stock processes.

The role requires strategic planning, strong leadership, and excellent communication to support on-time delivery and customer satisfaction across the business.

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic stock planning and inventory management.
• Experience leading a team to deliver improvements.
• Strong ERP data interpretation to inform decisions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end inventory planning to balance availability and costs.
• Consolidate supplier orders and optimise delivery frequency.
• Update and validate purchase orders in Business Central with accuracy.
• Review supplier stock updates and reflect changes in internal systems.
• Coordinate with suppliers and internal teams on delivery dates and quantities.
• Highlight potential stock issues and resolve with Buying/Trading Managers.
• Support development of supplier performance measures (delivery, stock quality, lead times).

Skills

Stock planning

Team leadership

ERP data analysis

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Organisation

Independent problem solving

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Excel

Job description

Company Description

Hedges Direct is a UK specialist in hedging, trees, and garden plants, supporting homeowners, landscapers, and trade professionals with reliable, high-quality stock for projects of all sizes. With over 20 years of experience, the company focuses on making the process of buying hedging, shrubs, and trees clear and stress-free. Its comprehensive online range includes bare root, cell grown, pot grown, and root ball plants, as well as shrubs, garden trees, and topiary, delivered across the UK. Products are carefully selected for strong performance in both domestic and commercial settings. Through expert guidance, dependable delivery options, and a 12‑month plant guarantee, Hedges Direct helps customers plan, plant, and maintain successful outdoor spaces.

Role Description

The Stock Manager plays a key role in ensuring that the business holds the right stock, in the right place, at the right time, supporting our ability to consistently meet customer demand and uphold our market-leading delivery promise. The role is responsible for maintaining inventory accuracy, monitoring stock levels and identifying potential risks, helping to prevent both stockouts and overstocking while ensuring stock availability supports sales and customer satisfaction. Working closely with the Buying Manager, Trading Manager and Operations team, the Stock Manager will help coordinate stock intake in line with demand and operational capacity, including efficient wagon and delivery planning to consolidate inbound stock and minimise transport costs wherever possible. As a key owner of inventory data within Business Central, they will ensure stock records are accurate and reliable, while supporting improvements to stock processes and reporting that make day-to-day stock management more efficient and effective.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end inventory planning function, ensuring the right stock is available at the right time to fulfil demand, while balancing availability, working capital, operational capacity and inbound logistical efficiency.
• Proactively identify opportunities to consolidate supplier orders and optimise delivery frequency, reducing unnecessary transport costs and inefficient part-load deliveries.
• Ensure all purchase orders are confirmed with suppliers and accurately updated within Business Central, maintaining clear visibility of committed and incoming stock.
• Review and interpret regular supplier stock and availability updates, ensuring relevant changes are accurately reflected within internal systems to support stock ordering and planning decisions.
• Work closely with suppliers and internal teams to manage expected delivery dates, quantities and any changes to planned stock intake.
• Proactively highlight potential stock availability, intake or supplier issues, working with the Buying and Trading Managers to resolve these in a timely manner.
• Working with the Buying Manager to support the development of supplier performance measures around delivery accuracy, stock quality, lead times and fulfilment of agreed volumes.

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven ability to strategically plan and manage stock across diverse product categories, ensuring efficient logistical intake aligned with capacity, demand, and commercial objectives.
• Proven experience managing and developing a team to deliver high performance and continuous improvement.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to interpret ERP data and drive informed inventory decisions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, adept at influencing senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Meticulous attention to detail combined with a strategic mindset to balance operational demands with long-term objectives.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and capable of working independently to identify and resolve challenges.
• Exceptional organisational skills with the capacity to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and experience with ERP systems, preferably Business Central.