At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead pork supply planning across multiple sites, ensuring efficient flow from raw materials to finished goods.
- Company: Join Sofina Foods, a dynamic FMCG leader passionate about quality meats and seafood.
- Benefits: Enjoy career growth, a collaborative culture, and the chance to influence meaningful improvements.
- Why this job: Shape the future of supply planning while making a real impact in a growing business.
- Qualifications: Experience in FMCG planning, strong Excel skills, and a knack for continuous improvement.
- Other info: Flexible working environment with opportunities for travel across the UK and Ireland.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Lead end-to-end pork supply planning across a complex, multi-site FMCG operation.
Our new Supply Planning Manager will take ownership of supply planning across the Sofina Foods estate, managing the flow from raw material through to finished goods. This is a high-impact, multi-site role, critical to maximising factory performance, material utilisation and customer fulfilment.
Working at the heart of supply, operations and commercial teams, you’ll balance demand, capacity and carcass utilisation while continuously improving planning systems, forecasting accuracy and production efficiency. You’ll be part of a specialist planning team developing and playing a key role in shaping how pork and seafood is planned, utilised and optimised across the business. This role will require extensive UK and Ireland travel and will ideally be Malton based; however we will be open to alternate site bases for the right candidate.
Responsibilities
- Developing the Pork Supply Planning team, covering raw material supply through to finished goods.
- Ensuring robust, timely and informed supply plans are in place across all relevant sites.
- Building a deep understanding of site capabilities, constraints and specifications, including run rates, welfare and origin requirements.
- Partnering with site managers to evaluate capacity challenges and implement practical solutions.
- Working closely with Carcass Balance teams to align demand, maximise meat availability and improve carcass and grade utilisation.
- Supporting the NIRF process, ensuring new business opportunities are fully assessed from a supply and planning perspective.
- Analysing trim and residual generation, collaborating with Sales and Carcass Balance to optimise internal use or additional sales opportunities.
- Reviewing and improving planning systems, tools and ways of working to drive efficiency and effectiveness.
- Using feedback from site schedulers to enhance forecast accuracy, yield visibility and plan quality.
- Driving continuous improvement in the quality, consistency and value of material planned into Sofina’s internal demand.
- Developing broader understanding across other planning pillars to support resilience and cross-cover.
Success in this role will be demonstrated through
- Consistently timely delivery of accurate supply plans.
- Improved productivity across production areas.
- Reduced changeovers and increased factory fill rates.
- Enhanced utilisation and value recovery from residual products.
- Clear evidence of continuous improvement in planning efficiency and performance.
The Ideal Candidate
- An experienced planning manager from a fast-moving, consumer-led FMCG environment.
- Confident managing complex production planning across multiple sites.
- Highly proficient in Excel, including formulas, data analysis and some programming capability.
- Focused on continuous improvement, with the ability to challenge systems and ways of working constructively.
- Skilled at building strong, collaborative relationships across operations, supply chain and commercial teams.
- Comfortable adapting plans quickly in response to changing demand or unforeseen opportunities.
- A clear communicator with strong coordination and stakeholder management skills.
- Flexible and willing to support cross-team activity when required.
Why Sofina Foods?
This is a pivotal role within a growing, ambitious FMCG business where planning plays a critical role in performance and value creation. You’ll have the opportunity to shape how pork supply planning operates across the estate, influence senior stakeholders and lead meaningful improvement across systems, processes and outcomes. At Sofina, you’ll be trusted to make decisions, encouraged to challenge the status quo and supported to develop both your team and your own career within a collaborative, values-led organisation.
Company Information
Sofina Foods isn't just a food company - It’s a place to build your future. With a team of over 13,000 people across 40 sites in Canada and Europe, we're passionate about delivering quality meats and seafood products to consumers around the world. Join a company where innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction drive everything we do. At Sofina, you’ll grow your skills, make a real impact, and work with responsibly sourced products from more than 50 protein sources across five continents. Our vision is bold: to be the most successful food company in the world. If you’re looking for a rewarding career in the food industry, there’s a place for you at Sofina Foods.
Equal Opportunities
Sofina Foods is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences – regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
Schedule: Monday to Friday
Location: North Yorkshire
Hours of Work: Full-time
Supply Planning Manager employer: Sofina Foods Europe
Contact Detail:
Sofina Foods Europe Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Supply Planning Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with professionals 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 supply chain processes. Understand their challenges and think about how your skills can help solve them. This will show you're genuinely interested and ready to contribute.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your experience and how it relates to the role of Supply Planning Manager. Keep it concise but impactful – highlight your achievements and how they align with the company's goals.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our brand.
We think you need these skills to ace Supply Planning Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the Supply Planning Manager role. Highlight your experience in FMCG and any specific achievements that showcase your skills in supply planning, forecasting, and team collaboration.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role at Sofina Foods and how your background makes you the perfect fit. Don’t forget to mention your adaptability and continuous improvement mindset!
Showcase Your Excel Skills: Since proficiency in Excel is key for this role, make sure to highlight your experience with data analysis and any programming capabilities. If you've used Excel to improve planning efficiency, share those examples!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sofina Foods Europe
✨Know Your Supply Chain Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into understanding the supply chain processes specific to the FMCG sector. Familiarise yourself with how raw materials flow through to finished goods, and be ready to discuss your insights on improving efficiency and utilisation.
✨Showcase Your Excel Skills
Since proficiency in Excel is crucial for this role, prepare to demonstrate your skills. Bring examples of how you've used data analysis and programming capabilities in past roles to enhance planning accuracy or streamline processes.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your ability to handle complex production planning across multiple sites. Think of specific scenarios where you successfully managed capacity challenges or improved forecasting accuracy, and be ready to share these experiences.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Communication
This role requires strong relationships across various teams. Be prepared to discuss how you've built collaborative partnerships in previous positions, and highlight your communication strategies that have led to successful outcomes in supply planning.