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- Tasks: Join our Product Supply team as a Demand Planner, managing forecasts and improving customer service.
- Company: Brakes is part of Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice business, offering exciting career opportunities.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, generous holidays, pension scheme, and discounts on food and entertainment.
- Why this job: This role offers a dynamic environment, collaboration with teams, and a chance to make an impact.
- Qualifications: Ideal candidates have FMCG/Supply Chain experience, strong analytical skills, and proficiency in MS Excel and SAP.
- Other info: Work Monday to Friday, 39 hours per week, with 2 days in the Ashford office.
The predicted salary is between 28800 - 43200 £ per year.
Job Description
Brakes have an opportunity for a Demand Planner to join the Product Supply team. The role is based at our Ashford office and reports to the Category Demand Manager.
The Demand Planner is responsible for all forecast activities associated with customers and products. The role interprets, creates and/or manages the demand for depot forecasting, incorporating statistics and business intelligence and other demand signals to improve service for the customers of the demand plan.
To effectively manage the interaction and forge strong working relationships with key stakeholders for their area of responsibility, to provide optimum customer experience.
Our role is Monday – Friday, 39 hours per week, 8am – 5pm and is offering hybrid working, with 2 days a week in the Ashford office, so you must be within a commutable distance. The site has good transport links and free car park for colleagues.
Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities:
- Responsible for creating and maintaining system generated forecasts for a defined material group (s) to drive continuous improvement to company set targets
- Carrying out analysis of sales history, seasonal and forthcoming events or activities in order to generate an optimal demand signal
- Interpret corporate and independent customer data/insight into robust forecasts
- Manage forecasting processes at both detail and aggregated level, utilising the best fit statistical models
- Collaborative demand planning with other teams or external customers in order to understand, recommend, and deliver forecast improvements
- Communicating to supply chain colleagues to advise changes to the forecast
- Root cause analysis techniques to establish underlying causes of KPI shortfalls and implement improvement plans to rectify
- Support the governance of customer insights/business intelligence
- Support projects in Demand Planning and around the business as required
- Support a culture of continuous improvement.
- Supporting the implementation of new and lost business forecast requirements into the Demand planning system
About you:
We are looking for a confident individual who is people orientated and can thrive in a fast paced, demanding, and pressurised environment, so experience within FMCG/ Supply Chain is highly desirable. This role is suited to someone who has excellent problem-solving skills with a ‘can do’ attitude as it will involve analysing trends and looking into anomalies to understand what went wrong and how this can be avoided in the future. You will have great analytical skills and be competent in the use of MS Excel, (formulas), and SAP. This role requires a great amount of concentration, and the ideal candidate will be able to prioritise their own workload to ensure all tasks and processes are completed in a timely manner. This role is suitable for someone who enjoys working with numerical data but is also comfortable liaising with internal/external stakeholders to draw conclusions from data and report the findings.
What you’ll receive:
- A competitive salary
- Generous holiday allowance, with option to purchase up to 5 additional holiday days
- Pension scheme
- Hybrid working contract
- Huge discounts on all sorts of lovely food and award-winning products through our staff shop
- Discounts on Cinema tickets, shopping and earn cashback on purchases through Sodexo.
- Recognition awards and Incentives
- Career progression opportunities – being part of Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice business, opens up a world of possibility
Demand Planner employer: Brakes
Contact Detail:
Brakes Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Demand Planner
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarize yourself with the key metrics and KPIs relevant to demand planning in the FMCG sector. Understanding these will help you speak the same language as the hiring team and demonstrate your knowledge during discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the supply chain and demand planning fields. Engaging with industry peers can provide insights into best practices and may even lead to referrals for the position.
✨Tip Number 3
Brush up on your analytical skills, especially in MS Excel and SAP. Being able to showcase your proficiency in these tools during interviews will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare examples of how you've successfully collaborated with stakeholders in previous roles. Highlighting your ability to communicate effectively and drive improvements will resonate well with the hiring team.
We think you need these skills to ace Demand Planner
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Make sure to thoroughly read the job description for the Demand Planner position. Understand the key responsibilities and required skills, especially those related to forecasting, data analysis, and stakeholder management.
Tailor Your CV: Customize your CV to highlight relevant experience in demand planning, FMCG, or supply chain. Emphasize your analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency in MS Excel and SAP.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Mention specific examples of how your past experiences align with the responsibilities of the Demand Planner position.
Highlight Soft Skills: In your application, emphasize your people-oriented approach and ability to thrive in fast-paced environments. Discuss your communication skills and how you effectively collaborate with stakeholders to improve forecasts.
How to prepare for a job interview at Brakes
✨Show Your Analytical Skills
As a Demand Planner, you'll need to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you've used data analysis in previous roles, especially in forecasting and identifying trends.
✨Understand the Supply Chain
Familiarize yourself with supply chain concepts and how they relate to demand planning. Be ready to explain how you can contribute to improving service levels and customer experience through effective demand management.
✨Communicate Effectively
Since the role involves liaising with various stakeholders, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Prepare to discuss how you've successfully collaborated with teams or external customers in the past.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills. Think of scenarios where you've had to analyze anomalies in data and how you approached finding solutions. Highlight your 'can do' attitude and resilience in challenging situations.
