At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead linen management and optimise customer service while driving financial performance.
- Company: Global leader in garment and linen rental services with a focus on sustainability.
- Benefits: Career growth opportunities, competitive salary, and exposure to senior leadership roles.
- Other info: Dynamic role with excellent potential for career advancement in operational leadership.
- Why this job: Perfect for ambitious individuals eager to make an impact in operations and leadership.
- Qualifications: Strong analytical skills, commercial awareness, and a proactive mindset are essential.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
Are you an ambitious professional looking to accelerate your career in operations? Do you want a role where your analytical thinking, commercial awareness and leadership potential can directly influence business performance - while opening the door to future leadership opportunities?
Our client is a global leader in professional garment and linen rental services, operating at the forefront of the circular economy. With 80% of group revenue driven by textile solutions and annual investments of several hundred million pounds, optimising cost, quality and customer value is a strategic priority across the Group and within the UK business.
As part of their succession planning and growth strategy, the business is actively seeking high-potential, career-driven individuals who want to grow into senior operational leadership roles. This position is designed to provide the commercial exposure, operational insight and strategic responsibility needed to build a long-term leadership career.
The Opportunity
As Demand Planning Manager at the Portsmouth site, you will take ownership of linen management at site level - ensuring customer product availability while carefully controlling textile investment and delivering measurable financial performance. Working at the intersection of operations, commercial teams and customer services, you will become the site's centre of expertise for textile configuration, demand planning and utilisation strategy. This role provides deep operational exposure, giving you the opportunity to understand how a large-scale service operation performs end-to-end - from customer demand forecasting to cost optimisation, operational processes and continuous improvement. For ambitious individuals with leadership aspirations, this role offers an ideal stepping stone into Operations Management.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and manage linen demand forecasting to ensure optimal customer service levels and stock availability
- Identify risks, trends and opportunities within textile utilisation and agree proactive action plans
- Ensure customers are configured on the correct service models and replenishment levels
- Partner closely with site Operations teams to optimise textile lifecycle management, including compliant rewash and rag-out processes
- Manage and monitor the financial performance of the linen pool against site budgets
- Deliver weekly, monthly and quarterly performance reporting, providing clear commercial insight to site leadership
- Act as the site's centre of knowledge for textile configuration and customer setup within business systems
- Collaborate with Account Management and Customer Services to optimise customer outcomes
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to maximise textile utilisation and operational efficiency
- Support the site leadership team with data-driven operational decision making
About You
We're looking for individuals who combine analytical capability with leadership potential and who are motivated by building a long-term career in operational leadership. You will ideally bring:
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn data into actionable insight
- Commercial awareness and experience managing or influencing budgets
- Confidence working cross-functionally with operational and commercial teams
- A proactive, improvement-focused mindset
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
- Strong IT capability (MS Office and ERP systems)
- Degree educated or equivalent experience within a customer-focused service environment
- Exposure to continuous improvement or operational optimisation is advantageous
Most importantly, you will be ambitious, curious about operations and motivated to grow into a leadership role.
Demand Planning Manager in Portsmouth employer: Barker Ross Group
As a Demand Planning Manager at our Portsmouth site, you will join a forward-thinking company that prioritises employee growth and development within a dynamic work culture. With a strong focus on operational excellence and sustainability, we offer extensive career advancement opportunities, competitive benefits, and a collaborative environment where your contributions directly impact business success. Join us to be part of a global leader in the circular economy, where your ambition and analytical skills can flourish.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Demand Planning Manager in Portsmouth
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their operations and how your skills can contribute to their success. Tailor your responses to show how you can add value as a Demand Planning Manager.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your interview skills with friends or mentors. Get comfortable discussing your experience and how it relates to the role. The more you practice, the more confident you'll feel when it’s time to shine!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for ambitious individuals like you. Make sure your application stands out by highlighting your analytical skills and leadership potential.
We think you need these skills to ace Demand Planning Manager in Portsmouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Demand Planning Manager role. Highlight your analytical skills, commercial awareness, and any leadership experiences you've had. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about operations and how your background makes you a great fit for this role. Be sure to mention specific examples that demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and proactive mindset.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills:Since this role heavily relies on data analysis, make sure to include any relevant projects or experiences where you've successfully turned data into actionable insights. We love seeing how you’ve used your analytical skills to drive results in previous roles!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Barker Ross Group
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Demand Planning Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your analytical skills. Brush up on key metrics related to demand forecasting and textile utilisation. Be ready to discuss how you've used data in past roles to drive decisions and improve performance.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Potential
This role is all about future leadership opportunities. Prepare examples of how you've led teams or projects in the past. Highlight your ability to influence others and drive change, even if it was in a smaller capacity.
✨Understand the Business
Familiarise yourself with the company's operations and their position in the circular economy. Research their services and think about how you can contribute to optimising cost and quality. This shows your commercial awareness and genuine interest in the role.
✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Collaboration
You'll be working closely with various teams, so be ready to discuss your experience in cross-functional environments. Think of specific instances where you've successfully collaborated with operational and commercial teams to achieve common goals.
