Supply Chain Planning Manager

True North Talent Limited; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

True North Talent Limited is seeking an experienced Supply Chain Planning Manager for Greater Manchester to lead the Planning, Demand Planning and Materials teams, ensuring accurate forecasts and efficient production planning.

You will collaborate with Commercial, Operations, Technical, NPD, Logistics and Finance to optimise inventory, capacity and labour while driving continuous improvement and reducing working capital. This is a strategic leadership role with impact across the business.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Planning Manager in food manufacturing or similar.
• Experience leading planning, demand planning or materials teams.
• Strong understanding of production planning, forecasting, inventory management and capacity planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Planning, Demand Planning and Materials teams to deliver accurate production plans and optimise service levels.
• Collaborate with Commercial teams and key retail customers to develop forecasts and align production.
• Manage material planning and supplier lead times to ensure raw materials and packaging availability.
• Coordinate with NPD, Technical, Operations, Warehouse and Logistics on launches and critical-path work.
• Manage promotional planning, seasonal demand and capacity planning.
• Monitor inventory levels and SKU changes to minimise waste and working capital.
• Drive continuous improvement across Supply Chain processes and implement new ways of working.
• Coach and develop the Supply Chain team with regular performance reviews.

Skills

Planning leadership

Forecasting

Inventory management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Job description

Supply Chain Planning Manager -Greater Manchester -c£65,000

Overview:

We are recruiting for an experienced Supply Chain Planning Manager to join a growing and successful food manufacturing business. Reporting directly to the Head of Supply Chain, you'll lead the Planning, Demand Planning and Materials teams, ensuring accurate forecasting, efficient production planning and seamless material availability across the site.

This is a key leadership role where you'll work cross functionally with Commercial, Operations, Technical, NPD, Logistics and Finance to deliver excellent customer service while optimising inventory, capacity and labour. You'll play a pivotal role in driving continuous improvement, reducing working capital and helping shape the future Supply Chain strategy within the business.

About you…

Proven experience as a Planning Manager, Supply Chain Planning Manager or Supply Chain Manager within food manufacturing.

Experience leading and developing planning, demand planning or materials teams. Strong understanding of production planning, forecasting, inventory management and capacity planning.

As Supply Chain Planning Manager, you will have excellent communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across multiple departments and customers.

Highly analytical, organised and methodical with a proactive approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.

What will you be doing?

Leading the Planning, Demand Planning and Materials teams to deliver accurate production plans that maximise service levels and operational efficiency.

Working closely with Commercial teams and key retail customers to develop accurate forecasts and ensure production plans meet customer demand.

The Supply Chain Planning Manager will be managing material planning and supplier lead times to ensure all raw materials and packaging are available to support production schedules.

Collaborating with NPD, Technical, Operations, Warehouse and Logistics teams to ensure successful product launches and effective management of critical paths.

Managing promotional planning, seasonal demand and capacity planning to maintain product availability while optimising factory performance.

Monitoring inventory levels, managing SKU changes and packaging run-outs to minimise waste and reduce working capital.

Driving continuous improvement initiatives across Supply Chain processes while supporting the implementation of new ways of working and strategic business objectives.

Coaching, developing and motivating the Supply Chain team through regular performance reviews, objectives and ongoing support.

So, what can they offer you?

This is an excellent opportunity to join a successful and growing food manufacturing business where Supply Chain plays a central role in delivering operational excellence and outstanding customer service.

You’ll become part of a collaborative senior leadership team, working across the business to influence strategy, improve planning processes and drive continuous improvement. The business is committed to investing in its people and systems, giving you the autonomy to make a genuine impact while developing your own career.

If you enjoy leading high performing teams, improving planning accuracy and creating efficient supply chain processes within a fast‑paced food manufacturing environment, this is a fantastic opportunity to take the next step in your career.

We are keen to speak with experienced Supply Chain Planning Managers, Planning Managers, Supply Chain Managers, Demand Planning Managers, Materials Managers, Production Planning Managers, Supply Chain Leads or Senior Planners from the food manufacturing or FMCG sectors who are based in Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Warrington, Wigan, Blackburn, Preston or the surrounding areas.

We are only able to consider candidates who have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications we receive, we can only contact successful applicants.