Supply Chain & Inventory Planner

Furniture Outlet; Basildon; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discount across all store

Private Healthcare

Employee Discount Platform

A collaborative and supportive team

Casual Dress

Company Events

Company Pension

Career growth opportunities as the bus

Job summary

Furniture Outlet is seeking a Supply Chain & Inventory Planner at our Head Office in Basildon, Essex. In this full-time role you will own stock forecasting, reordering with factories across Asia, and freight management to ensure high product availability while avoiding overstock.

You'll analyse sales data daily, set reorder points, place purchase orders, and work with our logistics partners to optimise shipping schedules and costs. Experience in retail inventory is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience: 2 years in inventory planning, stock control, or purchasing within retail/e-commerce/wholesale.
• Ability to set reorder points and safety stock.
• Strong MS Excel and forecasting skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive stock availability and balance by optimizing stock levels to maximise product availability while keeping inventory lean.
• Daily monitoring of sales velocity, stock turn and inventory health; calculate reorder points and lead-time buffers.
• Manage factory PO issuance to Asian suppliers; monitor production timelines and MOQs.
• Negotiate ocean freight rates and schedules with freight forwarders to secure optimal shipping.
• Mathematically pack 40ft containers to maximise CBM utilization while balancing weight and product mix.
• Evaluate inventory processes and introduce improvements to streamline stock flow.
• Track landed costs and supplier payment schedules to align purchasing with cash flow.
• Identify slow-moving inventory and collaborate on promotions or markdowns.

Skills

Stock forecasting

Data analysis

Process improvement

Tools

Excel

Job description

Job Description:

Job Title: Supply Chain & Inventory Planner

Location: Head Office, Basildon, Essex

Reporting To: Director

Employment Type: Full-time

Pay: £30,000.00-£37,500.00 per year

About the Role

We are seeking a commercially minded, proactive Supply Chain & Inventory Planner with strong initiative to take ownership of our stock forecasting, factory reordering, and freight management.

At the core of our brand USP is our customer promise: maintaining excellent product availability so lines are never out of stock, while managing inventory efficiently to prevent overstocking. In this role, you will run the numbers daily, set precise reorder triggers, and place purchase orders directly with our manufacturing partners across Asia. While our internal logistics team handles physical container offloading and customs clearance, you will negotiate ocean freight rates, track inbound shipments, and partner with freight forwarders to ensure containers ship on the most optimal schedules.

Key Responsibilities

• Stock Availability & Balance (Core Focus): Drive our key USP by optimising stock levels - maximising product availability while keeping inventory lean to protect cash flow and minimise overstocking risk.
• Data Analysis & Stock Planning: Daily monitoring of sales velocity, stock turn, and inventory health. Calculate accurate reorder points, safety stock levels, and lead-time buffers across all product ranges.
• Factory PO Management: Calculate order requirements and issue Purchase Orders (POs) directly to Asian suppliers. Monitor production timelines, factoring in factory lead times, annual Asian holiday closures, and Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs).
• Freight Rate & Schedule Optimisation: Negotiate competitive ocean freight rates with freight forwarders and work with them to secure the most optimal shipping schedules to prevent delays. Track inbound shipments from Asian ports to destination ports.
• Container Load Optimisation: Mathematically pack 40ft High Cube containers to achieve maximum cubic metre (CBM) utilization, balancing weight, volume, and product mix to minimise shipping costs per item.
• Process Improvement & Initiative: Continuously evaluate current inventory processes, stock turnover rates, and reporting tools, introducing proactive ideas to streamline inventory flow and optimize systems.
• PO Financial Tracking: Track landed costs (FOB price, freight rates, duties) and monitor supplier payment schedules to ensure purchasing aligns with cash flow budgets.
• Stock Health & Discontinuation: Identify slow-moving inventory early and collaborate with management on promotional strategies or markdowns to clear slow lines.

Candidate Requirements

• Experience: 2 years of hands-on experience in inventory planning, stock control, or purchasing within a retail, e-commerce, or wholesale business.
• Mindset: Proactive with genuine initiative - someone who actively looks for ways to optimise processes, improve stock health, and drive efficiency.
• Analytical Skills: Strong MS Excel skills (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, forecasting formulas) with a proven track record of converting raw sales data into actionable reorder schedules.

Benefits

• Staff discount across all store locations
• Private Healthcare
• Employee Discount Platform
• A collaborative and supportive team culture
• Casual Dress
• Company Events
• Company Pension
• Career growth opportunities as the business expands

Language:

• English (required)

Licence/Certification:

• Driving Licence (preferred)

Work Location: In person (Basildon, Essex)