Our growing and innovative client, located on the Shropshire/Powys border, are looking for an experienced Demand & Production Planner to join their team and contribute to the future success of the business within a highly competitive industry.

The position will be responsible for driving monthly forecasting and S&OP processes, creating efficient production schedules, and ensuring supply chain alignment across departments. Adept at managing forecast accuracy, leading cross-functional meetings, and maintaining strong supplier relationships.

What you can expect:

• Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week
• Salary: negotiable and depending on experience, disclosed upon application
• 24 days annual leave plus bank/public holidays
• Full time & permanent

What you will be doing:

• Lead the monthly demand planning process in collaboration with Sales, Marketing, and Finance, incorporating historical trends, customer run rates, promotional activity, product lifecycle changes, delists and broader market insights
• Facilitate and lead cross-functional monthly demand review and Sales & Operations Planning meetings
• Manage bi-weekly exceptions meetings to assess and respond to late demand changes or opportunities
• Generate detailed, efficient production plans which balance forecasted demand with available labour, machine capacity, materials, storage and energy consumption
• Monitor forecast accuracy and variance against actual sales, reporting KPIs and root cause analysis
• Develop weekly and monthly raw material forecasts and liaise with procurement to ensure timely supply chain alignment
• Work closely with colleagues to incorporate maintenance, cleaning and labour constraints into production schedules
• Maintain strong external supplier relationships, advising on delivery schedules and managing key planning inputs
• Deputise for the Procurement Manager during periods of absence

What we are looking for:

• Advanced proficiency in ERP/MRP systems and analytical tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI)
• Minimum 3 years in a demand forecasting or production planning role, ideally in FMCG or manufacturing
• Proven experience within sales and operations planning
• Solid knowledge of inventory management, scheduling, and manufacturing processes
• Experience dealing directly with customers
• Strong analytical and statistical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets
• Strong interpersonal skills to influence and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Desirable:

• Experience working with UK food and drink retailers
• Experience of planning short shelf-life ambient products
• Experience with demand planning software