Sales & Operations Planning Lead

CREGG; Galway; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Health Insurance

Onsite parking

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a Sales & Operations Planning Lead for a prominent manufacturing company in Galway. This role involves managing demand forecasts, leading S&OP processes, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize inventory levels. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in demand planning within FMCG, manufacturing, or pharma industries. Attractive offers include pension and health insurance, along with opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in demand planning, supply chain, or analytics.
• Preferably in FMCG, manufacturing, or pharma.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to lead without authority.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems.
• Contribute to a positive team environment and maintain engagement.

Responsibilities

• Generate and refine statistical forecasts for SKU/customer levels.
• Lead monthly demand review meetings and ensure alignment.
• Manage inventory drivers to support target stock levels.
• Stakeholder management: collaborate across Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain.
• Process improvement: develop forecasting methodologies and planning processes.
• Promote best practices in forecasting and ERP usage.
• Work with Sales, Operations and Finance for collaborative planning.
• Support ESG initiatives and other manager tasks.

Skills

Demand planning

Supply chain analytics

Advanced Excel

ERP systems knowledge

Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills

APICS CPIM advantage

Education

Level 7/8 in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or relevant field

Tools

SAP

Blue Yonder

JDA

Oracle

Job description

CREGG Recruitment is currently hiring a Sales & Operations Planning Lead on behalf of our client who are a leading manufacturing company specialising in the production of electronics and medical components based at their offices in Galway.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Materials & Purchasing Manager, the Sales & Operations Planning lead will create and manage rolling demand forecasts (typically 3–18 months), driving the S&OP process to align Sales, Operations, and Finance. The role holder will deliver the capacity resource plan by key process, product family by Product grouping. They will analyse trends, manage forecast accuracy (KPIs), and optimise inventory levels using statistical tools (e.g., SAP, Blue Yonder, Anaplan, Syspro).

Key Responsibilities

• Forecasting & Analysis: Generate and refine statistical forecasts for SKU/customer levels, analysing trends and market intelligence to minimise error.
• S&OP Leadership: Lead monthly demand review meetings, ensuring alignment between commercial plans and operational capability. Present the MPS (Master Production Schedule) that supports EOQ for both Purchasing and Operations. Schedule orders to WIP in line with product lead times.
• Inventory Optimization: Manage inventory drivers to support target stock levels and ensure product availability.
• Stakeholder Management: Collaborate across departments (Sales, Operations, Supply Chain) to integrate business intelligence into the forecast. Provide professional communications to all stakeholders internally and externally.
• Process Improvement:
  • Drive improvements in forecasting methodology and system capabilities.
  • Support the Head of Materials in developing and improving planning processes across the organisation.
• Promote best practices in forecasting, inventory planning, and use of ERP systems.
• Work closely with Sales, Operations, and Finance to ensure a collaborative planning environment.
• Support the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) function and agenda within the business.
• Participate in improvement projects and other reasonable tasks as outlined by the manager.

Skills & Qualification

• You will have 5+ years in demand planning, supply chain, or analytics, preferably in FMCG, manufacturing, or pharma.
• Level 7/8 in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or relevant field.
• Advanced Excel skills, experience with ERP systems (SAP4/Hana), and planning tools like Blue Yonder, JDA, or Oracle.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to lead without authority, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• APICS/CPIM is often an advantage.
• Enthusiastic problem‑solving mentality, willing to grow/develop the role.
• Contribute to a positive team environment and maintain a high level of engagement within the team.

Offer

• Pension, Health Insurance, onsite parking and other benefits.
• Opportunities for professional development and advancement.