Interim Head of Materials Planning & Logistics

Job Description

We are partnering with a privately owned, heritage manufacturing business, recognised as a market leader within its sector. Operating from a state-of-the-art manufacturing headquarters, the business has built a reputation for innovation, quality, and operational excellence.

As part of its ongoing transformation, the business is now seeking to appoint a Interim Head of Materials Planning & Logistics to lead a strategic review and transformation of its Materials Control and Logistics function. This is a high-impact leadership role, accountable for ensuring the end-to-end supply chain is fit for purpose, risk-mitigated, and fully aligned to operational and strategic goals.

Working closely with the senior leadership team, the successful candidate will lead the development and implementation of best-in-class materials planning, inventory management, logistics, and supplier relationship processes. They will also play a key role in supporting the ongoing rollout ensuring the ERP system drives real-time visibility, control, and efficiency across the supply chain.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead a strategic review and transformation of the Materials Control function, embedding processes that support cost efficiency, operational performance, and long-term resilience.
• Support the implementation of a new ERP system, ensuring the system delivers robust supply chain planning, materials visibility, and cost control.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive improvement programme across Materials Planning, Logistics, and Inventory Control, embedding ownership, process control, and continuous improvement behaviours within the team.
• Embed robust governance around material receipts, stock accuracy, and inventory reconciliation, driving behavioural change and process compliance.
• Collaborate closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, and Procurement teams to improve material flow, BoM accuracy, and system routings within the ERP.
• Ensure effective material staging, kitting, and availability in line with production schedules.
• Embed inventory assurance processes, ensuring accurate stock data, effective stock rotation, and elimination of obsolete inventory.
• Drive improvements in material quality controls, working with suppliers and internal teams to reduce defects, handling damage, and waste.
• Lead initiatives to improve batch-sizing, order frequency, and supply synchronisation, enhancing operational efficiency.
• Contribute to S&OP processes, ensuring materials strategies align with short-term production needs and long-term strategic goals.
• Foster a culture of collaborative problem-solving, proactively identifying and resolving supply chain bottlenecks and process weaknesses.
• Champion safety-first behaviours across all logistics and materials handling processes.
• Build performance-driven supplier relationships, ensuring high standards of material quality, service, and delivery performance.
• Provide inspirational leadership to the Supply Chain, Logistics, and Materials teams, driving engagement, accountability, and innovation.

Candidate Profile:

• Degree qualified in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or Engineering (MBA advantageous).
• Significant experience in senior supply chain leadership roles within large-scale, complex manufacturing environments.
• Expertise across Materials Control, Inventory Management, Logistics Operations, and Supplier Performance Management.
• Hands-on experience of ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics 365 experience is highly desirable).
• Demonstrated ability to optimise supply chain efficiency, drive cost reduction, and embed best practice governance.
• Strong understanding of S&OP processes, demand planning, and capacity management.
• Proven leadership skills, with experience driving engagement, accountability, and performance across large teams.
• Excellent understanding of supplier risk management, ensuring supply chain resilience and risk mitigation.
• Commercially astute, with the ability to balance strategic initiatives with daily operational execution.
• The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker and hands-on leader, capable of delivering both immediate operational improvements and long-term transformational change.

Personal Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with a hands-on, problem-solving approach.
• Passionate about process efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Strong leadership skills, able to engage and inspire teams.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Commercially astute, with a keen focus on cost efficiency and performance improvement.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, innovation-led environment.

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