Business Planning Manager (12-month FTC)

Argent Energy Limited; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work 2 days/week

Pension scheme

Annual bonus based on results

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Argent Energy Limited, a leading European waste-based biodiesel producer, seeks a Business Planning Manager for Amsterdam. The role leads the end-to-end S&OP process, optimizing plant output and driving cross-functional decision making to meet customer demand while managing financial targets.

The position is a 12-month fixed-term contract based at our Amsterdam facility, with potential for hybrid work and development within a dynamic energy group.

Qualifications

• Experience leading cross-functional planning teams.
• Strong financial analysis for decision making.
• FMCG/manufacturing planning background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach the planning team across sites.
• Own the group planning framework including demand, supply, inventory and production plans.
• Ensure decisions are based on robust financial numbers and KPIs.
• Govern planning master data and reporting for visibility and decision support.
• Facilitate cross-functional S&OP discussions and escalate risks and options.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Operations, Trading, Sustainability and Procurement.
• Define and embed inventory policy and monitor adherence for service and working capital.
• Drive continuous improvement, SOPs and performance reporting.

Skills

People management

Financial acumen

Supply planning

LEAN manufacturing

Oracle/ERP

Excel

Education

Supply Chain/Operations/Engineering/Business qualification

Tools

Oracle ERP

Job description

Who are we?

Argent Energy operate in the UK and Netherlands and are a leading European waste-based biodiesel producer with a vision to help decarbonise transport worldwide. We have ambitious plans to grow the business and enter new markets.

Main purpose of the role

The Business Planning Manager is accountable for:

• In charge of driving the full optimisation of the long term strategic planning (18 months rolling forecast) based on business requirements and assets development

• Optimizing plant output and ensure all risks mitigations are in place based on strong financial analysis

• Leading and embedding the end-to-end Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process across the Group, ensuring customer demand is met through alignment of commercial requirements, operational capacity, inventory strategy and financial objectives.

• The governance, preparation, coordination and facilitation of the S&OP cycle, ensuring robust cross-functional decision making between Sustainability, Commercial, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance and Logistics, and providing clear visibility of risks, constraints, trade-offs and required actions.

• Data integrity, reporting accuracy and scenario modelling that underpin S&OP decisions, enabling timely escalation and executive decision making.

This is a 12-month fixed-term contract.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead, coach and develop the Planning team to deliver consistent high performance across sites.

• Own the group planning framework and cadence, ensuring demand, supply, inventory and production plans are aligned to customer requirements, capacity and financial targets.

• Ensure any decision are based on financial numbers

• Ensure the quality, integrity and governance of planning master data and reporting, enabling accurate visibility, performance management and decision support.

• Facilitate cross-functional S&OP discussions and decision making, ensuring risks, constraints and options are clearly articulated and appropriately escalated.

• Build effective interfaces with Commercial, Operations, Trading, Sustainability, Procurement to anticipate changes (e.g., feedstock, customer demand, NPD/NPI) and ensure smooth planning transitions.

• Define and embed inventory policy (e.g., safety stock, min/max parameters) and monitor adherence to support service, working capital and operational stability.

• Drive continuous improvement, standard operating procedures and performance reporting (KPIs/visual management) to improve service, reliability and efficiency.

• Drive standardised planning ways of working across sites, continuous improvement and digitalisation (including effective use of Oracle/ERP), and support strategic change initiatives through to implementation.

• Own planning-system ways of working, including ongoing development of Oracle/ERP and related digital tools to improve planning effectiveness.

• Drive/Assess strategic impact of our sustainability route

Your key relationships will be:

Internal

• Commercial / Trade teams (demand signals, customer commitments, market changes)

• Operations / Manufacturing & site planning teams (capacity, constraints, execution readiness)

• Supply Chain / Logistics (inventory strategy, inbound/outbound constraints, service)

• Sustainability department (compliance requirements to be embedded in planning processes and decisions)

• Finance (alignment to financial objectives, working capital, performance reporting)

• IT / ERP support (Oracle/ERP process adoption, data governance and improvements)

External

• Key customers (service commitments, demand changes, delivery expectations)

• Key suppliers / service providers (where relevant to planning constraints and lead times)

Skills and behaviours you will need to be successful:

• Management of high throughput, production plans and processes.

• Proven people management, team building and team development skills across multiple sites.

• Financial acumen to support decision

• Supply, Production, Demand planning experience gained in a manufacturing / FMCG environment.

• Proven experience in production management/planning ideally using LEAN manufacturing principles.

• Knowledge of process management, control systems, logistics and scheduling expertise.

• Experience of working with Oracle or ERP systems.

• Excellent organisational and people management skills and a track record of motivating and developing people.

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills

• Ability to employ a logical, analytical, and systematic approach to problem solving using CI techniques.

• Exceptional verbal, written communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Strong systems knowledge, au fait with planning software and latest developments, with excellent excel skills.

• Use a dynamic approach, with the ability to multitask, and meet deadlines under pressure.

• Proactive and positive attitude in the work environment.

Experience and qualifications required:

• Relevant qualification in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Logistics, Engineering or Business (desirable).

• Significant experience in supply, production and/or demand planning within a manufacturing environment (FMCG desirable), with proven capability to lead cross-functional planning processes and drive improvements through systems and standard ways of working.

• Experience to worldwide source of supply

Travel to all Argent sites will be required with this role.

What we offer

• Opportunity to be part of a dynamic and highly motivating team.

• Fulltime role based at our facility in Amsterdam with the option to work from home 2 days a week.

• Good primary and secondary employment conditions and an attractive pension scheme.

• A bonus scheme based on stated business results.

• Working to an sustainable future with 300 passioned colleagues and lots of room for personal development.

Any questions? Contact Richard Witte (HR Manager). Richard can be reached by phone at [phone].