At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the rollout of a standardised Sales & Operations Planning process across NHS Supply Chain.
- Company: Join NHS Supply Chain, supporting healthcare and making a real difference.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, annual bonuses, well-being leave, and generous pension scheme.
- Other info: Inclusive environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Be part of a transformative team that puts patients first and drives continuous improvement.
- Qualifications: Experience in S&OP processes and strong stakeholder engagement skills.
The predicted salary is between 64062 - 75367 € per year.
Location: Home Worker – with the expectation to travel to offices as required
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: Offered based on a starting salary of £64,062 with the potential to increase to £75,367 over three years + additional benefits
NHS Supply Chain currently has an opportunity for a S&OP Lead to join our team during an exciting period of transformation, working to make it easier for the NHS to put patients first. As S&OP Lead, you will act as a central coordinating and enabling leader, ensuring the successful rollout and ongoing delivery of a single, aligned Sales & Operations Planning process across NHS Supply Chain. You will embed a standardised framework across all categories, building organisational adherence and maintaining a consistent monthly cadence. Owning and stewarding the end-to-end S&OP cycle, you will ensure all functions operate to agreed standards, timelines and governance. You will bring stakeholders together to drive alignment, support effective decision-making, and ensure the process runs with discipline and consistency. A key focus of the role is continuous improvement—identifying opportunities to enhance the process, increase maturity and strengthen performance over time.
Every day you will:
- Lead the rollout of a standardised S&OP process across all categories, embedding a consistent operating model organisation-wide
- Own and maintain the monthly S&OP cycle, ensuring all inputs, outputs and timelines are delivered with discipline and accuracy
- Monitor adherence to the S&OP framework, identifying risks and gaps and driving improvements to process reliability and predictability
- Facilitate cross-functional collaboration, aligning stakeholders to a single forward-looking plan that improves service and inventory outcomes
- Drive continuous improvement by enhancing governance, KPIs, templates and team capability, reducing firefighting and strengthening accountability
What can we offer you?
- Hybrid working opportunities, giving you the flexibility to work collaboratively in the office and remotely.
- We recognise our employees’ hard work and contributions with annual bonus schemes, long service, and colleague recognition awards.
- We are dedicated to your development, through in-house training, support, and access to external qualifications to maximise your potential.
- A focus on your well-being offering 1 day of paid well-being leave and free access to the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Generous pension scheme (with us contributing 12% when you contribute 6%)
- Access to our Flexible Benefits Scheme, where you can choose from a variety of benefits such as Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection, Health Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, and additional pension contributions that suit you.
- 2 days of paid volunteering leave allowing you to give back to your community.
- Access to many discounts from the Blue Light Card to NHS Discounts.
What skills will help you thrive in this role?
- S&OP / IBP expertise – Significant experience leading or coordinating Sales & Operations Planning or Integrated Business Planning processes, including supporting implementation or transformation activity
- Stakeholder engagement and influencing – Strong ability to build relationships and influence across functions and senior stakeholders, driving alignment without direct line management responsibility
- Facilitation and governance – Skilled in facilitating structured, cross-functional discussions, maintaining effective governance, and ensuring delivery to agreed timelines and standards
- Continuous improvement and process discipline – Demonstrable track record of improving process adherence, embedding best practice, and driving a culture of continuous improvement and operational maturity
- Analytical thinking and delivery focus – Ability to apply systems thinking and structured problem-solving, translating complex issues into clear actions and ensuring accountability and follow-through
Our Inclusive Commitment
At NHS Supply Chain, we are committed to building an inclusive environment where difference is not only valued, but celebrated, giving everyone the opportunity to thrive in their career. Developing our people is key to our success, so if this role sounds like the right next step in your career but your experience doesn’t match perfectly with the job advert, we encourage you to still apply.
NHS Supply Chain, who are we? Our role is to support the NHS to save lives and improve health. We are a part of the NHS family, and our role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales. We serve every NHS Trust and operate a national network of distribution centres, managing relationships with more than a thousand suppliers and delivering more than 8,000,000 orders each year to more than 17,000 locations. Doing all of this on behalf of the NHS gives NHS staff more time to focus on their main priority of providing excellent patient care.
S&OP Lead employer: Supply Chain Coordination Limited
NHS Supply Chain is an exceptional employer, offering a hybrid working model that promotes flexibility and collaboration while prioritising employee well-being with generous benefits such as paid well-being leave and a robust pension scheme. Our commitment to continuous development ensures that employees have access to in-house training and external qualifications, fostering a culture of growth and inclusivity where every team member can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the NHS's mission of improving patient care.
Contact Detail:
Supply Chain Coordination Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land S&OP Lead
✨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 role thoroughly. Understand their values and how your skills align with their goals. This will help you stand out and show that you're genuinely interested.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your answers to common interview questions, but keep it natural. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses and highlight your achievements effectively.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A simple thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and show your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it keeps you on their radar as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace S&OP Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your S&OP expertise and relevant experience. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your achievements!
Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills:Since this role involves a lot of collaboration, emphasise your ability to engage and influence stakeholders. Share examples of how you've successfully built relationships and driven alignment in previous roles.
Highlight Continuous Improvement:We love candidates who are passionate about continuous improvement! Include specific instances where you've enhanced processes or driven operational maturity. This will show us you’re proactive and results-oriented.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Supply Chain Coordination Limited
✨Know Your S&OP Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of Sales & Operations Planning processes. Brush up on your experience with S&OP or IBP, and be ready to discuss specific examples where you've led or improved these processes. This will show that you’re not just familiar with the terminology but can also apply it effectively.
✨Engage Stakeholders Like a Pro
Since this role involves a lot of stakeholder engagement, think about how you’ve successfully built relationships in the past. Prepare anecdotes that highlight your ability to influence and align different functions without direct authority. This will demonstrate your collaborative spirit and leadership potential.
✨Showcase Your Continuous Improvement Mindset
Be ready to talk about times when you identified gaps in processes and implemented improvements. Highlight your analytical thinking skills and how you’ve used them to enhance operational maturity. This will resonate well with their focus on continuous improvement and process discipline.
✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Scenarios
Expect questions that assess your facilitation skills in cross-functional discussions. Think of examples where you’ve led structured conversations to drive alignment and decision-making. Practising these scenarios will help you articulate your approach clearly during the interview.
