At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead linen management and optimise customer service levels while controlling textile investment.
- Company: Global leader in garment and linen rental services with a focus on sustainability.
- Benefits: Career development, exposure to leadership, and a supportive culture.
- Other info: Ideal stepping stone into Operations Management with clear progression opportunities.
- Why this job: Accelerate your career in operations and influence business performance directly.
- Qualifications: Strong analytical skills, commercial awareness, and leadership potential.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ 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.
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.
Career Development & Progression
This role is part of a long-term talent pipeline into Operations Management. Successful individuals will benefit from:
- Exposure to senior operational leadership
- Involvement in strategic site performance initiatives
- Development of commercial and operational management skills
- Opportunities to progress into Operations Manager and senior leadership roles
The organisation is committed to developing future leaders from within, making this an excellent opportunity for individuals seeking a clear and structured career path.
What's on Offer
A strategically important role within a growing international organisation. Exposure to large-scale operational decision making. High visibility across operations, commercial and leadership teams. The opportunity to directly influence cost, quality and customer value. A collaborative, supportive and people-focused culture. Clear progression opportunities into Operations Management.
If you are commercially sharp, operationally curious and motivated by building a leadership career within a fast-paced, operational environment, we would love to hear from you.
Barker Ross Group values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are more than happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.
Demand Planning Manager in West Bromwich employer: Barker Ross Group
As a Demand Planning Manager at our Portsmouth site, you will join a global leader in professional garment and linen rental services, where your analytical skills and leadership potential can significantly impact business performance. Our collaborative and supportive culture prioritises employee growth, offering clear pathways to senior operational roles while ensuring you gain invaluable exposure to large-scale decision-making processes. With a commitment to developing future leaders from within, this is an exceptional opportunity for ambitious individuals seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in operations.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Demand Planning Manager in West Bromwich
✨Join Supply Chain Meetups
Get yourself out there by attending supply chain meetups and industry events. It's a great way to meet fellow professionals, learn about trends, and maybe even hear about job openings before they’re posted online.
✨Show Off Your Skills on LinkedIn
Don’t just sit back and wait for opportunities! Post insights or articles on LinkedIn about supply chain challenges or solutions you’re passionate about. This not only showcases your expertise but can catch the eye of recruiters looking for someone like you.
✨Engage with Supply Chain Communities
Dive into online communities related to supply chain operations like forums or groups on Reddit and LinkedIn. Engaging in discussions can help you network, get advice, and you might even stumble upon some hidden job opportunities.
✨Apply through Our Website
When you spot a position at Barker Ross Group, make sure to apply through our website directly. It's often the quickest way to get your application in front of the right people and show that you’re genuinely interested in the role of Demand Planning Manager.
We think you need these skills to ace Demand Planning Manager in West Bromwich
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Supply Chain Savvy:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in supply chain operations. Whether it’s managing logistics or coordinating with suppliers, we want to see examples of how you've navigated the complexities of the supply chain. Concrete achievements, like reducing costs or improving delivery times, will definitely catch our eye!
Quantify Your Impact:When listing your previous roles on your CV, go for numbers! Mention percentages or actual figures where possible—like how much you've improved efficiency or reduced waste. It's all about showing us the tangible impact you've made in your past positions in supply chain operations.
Tailor Your Cover Letter:In your cover letter, don’t just regurgitate your CV. Instead, connect your experiences specifically to the role at Barker Ross Group. Share why you're passionate about supply chain operations and how this full-time role aligns with your career goals—I mean, who wouldn’t want to hear that!
Research and Reflect:Before you apply, take some time to research Barker Ross Group and its supply chain operations. Reflect on how your skills and experiences can fit into their operations. Being able to discuss their challenges and how you can contribute to solving them in your application will really make you stand out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Barker Ross Group
✨Know Your Basics in Supply Chain Management
Make sure you've got a solid grasp of key supply chain concepts like demand forecasting, inventory management, and logistics. We could be quizzed on these during technical rounds, so brush up on any software tools commonly used in the industry like SAP or Oracle. This knowledge will help us show we can hit the ground running!
✨Show Off Your Analytical Skills
Prepare to discuss real-world scenarios where you've used data analysis to solve supply chain challenges. If you've got experience with tools like Excel or Tableau, get ready to talk about how you've used these to optimise processes or improve efficiencies. Employers love seeing that we can turn data into actionable insights!
✨Highlight Your Teamwork and Project Management Skills
In a full-time role, collaboration is key. Think of examples where you've worked on cross-functional teams or managed projects. Sharing how you navigated challenges while working with diverse groups will show that we can thrive in a dynamic environment like at Barker Ross Group.
✨Research Specific Challenges Faced by Barker Ross Group
Look into any unique supply chain challenges Barker Ross Group might be facing, whether it's sustainability, supplier relationships, or global disruptions. Being prepared to discuss these topics shows that we're not only informed but also genuinely interested in how we can contribute to their success. That’s a big plus in any interview!
