At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape demand planning processes and influence business performance in a collaborative team.
- Company: Join Baxi, a leader in sustainable energy solutions with a proud heritage.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, up to 25 days leave, pension scheme, and employee discounts.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace committed to empowering all employees.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on demand forecasting and operational efficiency.
- Qualifications: Degree in Business or related field; experience in demand planning preferred.
The predicted salary is between 40500 - 49500 £ per year.
Demand Planner
Contract
Maternity Cover (9-12 Months)
Location
Preston
Why Join Baxi?
Baxi is a trusted name in heating and hot water solutions, with a proud heritage and ambitious plans for the future.
As part of BDR Thermea Group, we're helping drive the transition to more sustainable energy solutions and leading the conversation around how homes and businesses use energy.
Our portfolio includes some of the UK's most recognised brands, including Baxi, Main, Megaflo, Remeha, Andrews Water Heaters, Potterton Commercial, Heatrae Sadia and Packaged Plant Solutions.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative and forward-thinking supply chain team where you'll play a key role in shaping demand planning processes and influencing business performance.
The Role
As a Demand Planner, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining accurate demand forecasts that support customer requirements, business objectives and operational efficiency.
Working closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain and Production teams, you'll ensure demand signals are translated into robust plans that drive service excellence and inventory optimisation.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain demand plans, forecasts and statistical models aligned to sales objectives, market trends and operational capacity.
- Collaborate with Sales teams and customers to capture accurate demand signals and improve forecast visibility.
- Support new product introductions, promotional activity and product lifecycle management through effective forecasting.
- Analyse historical sales data, market intelligence and demand trends to identify risks and opportunities.
- Produce regular insights and reporting to support business decision-making.
- Play a key role in the development and execution of the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process.
- Support the business journey towards achieving 95% OTIF performance through improved demand planning and cross-functional alignment.
- Provide forecasting input to support production planning and inventory strategy.
- Monitor inventory levels and work with Supply Chain teams to maintain optimal stock availability while minimising excess inventory.
- Track and report key demand planning KPIs, including forecast accuracy, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Utilise demand planning systems and tools to improve forecast reliability and planning efficiency.
- What You'll Be Doing
- Demand Planning
- Manage SKU-level forecasting within IBP Demand Planning.
- Maintain forecast families and product lifecycle plans.
- Review and align statistical forecasts.
- Apply informed manual forecast adjustments where required.
- Ensure forecast accuracy and continuous improvement.
- Working with Sales Teams
- Reconcile customer demand data and project pipelines.
- Review and align forecasts across the commercial organisation.
- Submit approved forecasts into M3.
- Monitor forecast performance against live customer orders.
- Working with Supply Chain
- Provide analysis and resolution of SKU-specific forecast queries.
- Support stock planning and replenishment decisions.
- Collaborate on inventory optimisation initiatives.
- Business & Stakeholder Engagement
- Present forecasts and demand trends to internal management teams and wider Group functions.
- Contribute to new product development (NPD) reviews and product discontinuation decisions.
- Participate in S&OP meetings and business planning forums.
- Deliver ad hoc analysis and presentations to key stakeholders across the business.
What We're Looking For
Essential Skills & Experience
- Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Logistics or a related field, or equivalent experience in a commercially focused, multi-site and multi-channel environment.
- Proven experience in demand planning, forecasting or supply chain planning within a complex business environment.
- Strong analytical and numerical skills, with the ability to interpret data and generate actionable insights.
- Advanced Excel skills and experience using demand planning tools and systems.
- Experience working with ERP systems, ideally SAP and/or M3.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong presentation and facilitation skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability.
What We Offer
Our reward package includes a competitive salary and performance-related incentive, alongside a range of excellent benefits, including:
- Up to 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
- Option to buy additional holiday
- Contributory pension scheme
- Income protection cover
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and sick pay schemes
- Employee discounts
- And much more
- Our Commitment to Inclusion
At BDR Thermea Group, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are critical to our success.
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to be their authentic selves.
We welcome applications from all backgrounds and encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply.
At BDR Thermea Group, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are critical to our success.
We are committed to creating a workplace where every potential future employee feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work.
Please check out our DE&I policy on our website to find out more.
Demand Manager in Preston employer: BDR Thermea Group
BDR Thermea Group is an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work culture that prioritises health and safety while fostering continuous improvement in environmental performance. Located in Preston, employees benefit from a supportive environment with 25 days of holiday, income protection, and ample opportunities for career development, making it a rewarding place to grow professionally.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Demand Manager in Preston
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✨Make Your Skills Shine
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✨Join Supply Chain Meetups
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✨Be Agile and Available
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We think you need these skills to ace Demand Manager in Preston
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Supply Chain Knowledge:Make sure you showcase any relevant coursework or experience in supply chain management in your CV. If you've worked with inventory management systems, logistics planning, or demand forecasting, include specific examples to demonstrate your skills—this is key in supply chain operations!
Certifications Can Make a Difference:If you've got any certifications related to supply chain operations, like APICS or Six Sigma, splash them in your CV! They can really help you stand out. Temporary roles often look for candidates who can hit the ground running, so proving you’ve got that extra knowledge is a big plus.
Emphasise Flexibility in Your Application:Since this is a temporary role, it's super important to highlight your flexibility and readiness to adapt to new environments. In your cover letter, mention your ability to learn quickly and your willingness to take on diverse tasks—this shows that you're the right fit for a dynamic supply chain environment.
Make Your CV Concise and Relevant:Keep your CV tight and relevant, focusing on the most important past experiences that relate directly to supply chain operations. Avoid filler and concentrate on the skills and experiences that will impress BDR Thermea Group and relate to the temporary nature of the role. Let's get you that interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at BDR Thermea Group
✨Know Your Supply Chain Tools
Brush up on the specific tools and software commonly used in supply chain operations, like SAP or Oracle. Make sure to highlight your familiarity with these during the interview at BDR Thermea Group, as it shows you're ready to hit the ground running.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
In a temporary role, they’ll want to see how quickly you can adapt and solve problems. Prepare for scenario-based questions that may ask how you’d handle disruptions like delays or inventory shortages. Think of real examples from your past experiences to share!
✨Flexibility is Key
As this is a temporary position, emphasise your willingness to be flexible. Talk about how you’ve quickly adapted to changes in previous roles or how you’re able to step in and learn new processes swiftly, especially those unique to BDR Thermea Group.
✨Prepare for Team Dynamics
Temporary roles often require quick integration into teams. Be ready to discuss your communication style and how you work collaboratively. You might face questions about working with cross-functional teams, so think about how you can highlight your teamwork skills.
