Supply Planner – Third Party Manufacturing

Kao Corporation; Bishop's Stortford; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Competitive salaries

Health and wellbeing offers

Pension schemes

Insurance options

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

Kao Corporation in the UK is seeking a 3PM Supply Planner to lead short- to mid-term supply planning, optimise inventory, and drive cost efficiency across the supply chain. You will partner with Sourcing, Quality, Customer Service and other functions to manage schedules, material readiness and plan adherence, resolving constraints and supporting new product launches.

The role requires 2-3 years in manufacturing (cosmetics/FMCG preferred), SAP experience, and strong stakeholder collaboration.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience required.
• 2-3 years’ experience in a manufacturing environment, cosmetics/FMCG preferred.
• Experience with SAP in a supply/production context and understanding of MRP.
• Proven ability to manage supply planning and stakeholder relationships.
• Strong decision-making skills and ability to handle cost thresholds.
• Ability to plan short-, medium- and long-term objectives in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end 3PM operations and make complex ROI-driven decisions.
• Collaborate daily with Sourcing, NPD, R&D and Logistics to align expectations.
• Manage vendor requirements, supply plans, and purchase orders for FG and components.
• Support new product launches and seasonal promotions with timely availability.

Skills

Supply planning

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Decision making

Forecasting

Cost awareness

Education

Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience

Tools

SAP

Job description

We are Kao, listed as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the last 20 years.

OurEMEA brand portfoliospans acrossthree sectors; Consumer Care (John Frieda, Guhl, Bondi Sands,Bioré, Jergens,Curél), Professional Hair (Goldwell,Oribe,KMSHair,Kerasilk),and Molton Brown.

Our corporate philosophy, The Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation, and treating each other with trust and respect.

About ourrole:

As the 3PM Supply Planner, you will lead short- to mid-term supply planning to ensure on-time, in-full delivery while optimising inventory, capacity and costs. Working closely with Sourcing, Quality, Customer Service and other functions, you will manage supply schedules, materials readiness and plan adherence, proactively resolving constraints and driving continuous improvement.

What you will do:

• Coordinate end-to-end 3PM operations and make complex decisions to improve ROI, while utilising storage space at suppliers with minimal cost impact.
• Work closely with internal departments, including Sourcing, NPD, R&D and Logistics, on a near-daily basis to align business expectations and support significant sales revenue.
• Manage key vendor forward requirements, supply plans and the placement of finished goods and component Purchase Orders (POs).
• Support all new product launches and range reviews, ensuring Christmas, summer and winter sales promotions are met with full quantities available across all markets in a timely manner.

What you will need:

• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience, with 2-3 years’ experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally within cosmetics, toiletries or FMCG.
• SAP experience within a supply and production environment, with a good understanding of materials requirements planning (MRP).
• Proven experience in supply planning, both internally and with external/third-party suppliers.
• Effective stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration, working with internal and external partners to achieve results.
• Sound decision-making skills, with the ability to manage significant cost thresholds and respond effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage short-, medium- and long-term objectives, adapting quickly to changing priorities and business requirements.

At Kao, we believe the diversity of our teams strengthens our global mission. Here wetrust andrespect each other, collaborating in a friendly and inclusive work environment to achievegreatresults.

Whatyou can expect from us:

• An entrepreneurialenvironmentwhere passionate and innovative teams come together.
• Respect, teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of how we work.
• A workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, with opportunities to get involved in initiatives such as Mental Health First Aiders, our Charity Committee, and DE&I communities
• A broad range of benefits, including flexible working, competitive salaries, health and wellbeing offers, pension schemes, insurance options, and more…
• Learning and development opportunities

Your voice matters here, we value entrepreneurial thinking and innovation from our teams.

To find out why 33,000 people across the Globe work at Kao please visit:

https://candidate-brochure.kao.com/kao-emea/full-view.html

https://www.kao.com/emea/en/careers/

Discover careers at Kao and how welive our purpose, Kirei– Making Life Beautiful.
https://kao.voyse.io/

#DT-LI1 #Hybrid