At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead demand planning processes and analyse customer data to improve forecasting accuracy.
- Company: Join TR Fastenings, a global leader in industrial fastenings and components.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, life insurance, pension, and an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for professional growth and collaboration across teams.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by establishing a strong demand planning capability from the ground up.
- Qualifications: 5+ years of demand planning experience and strong analytical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 40500 - 49500 £ per year.
Who we are
TR Fastenings (TR) is part of Trifast plc is a leading international specialist in the design, engineering, manufacture, and distribution of high-quality industrial fastenings and Category 'C' components principally to major global assembly industries.
It supplies to some 5,000 customers in 75 countries worldwide, serving a range of industries including Automotive, Smart Infrastructure, Medical, General Industrial and Distributors.
We are looking to recruit a Demand Planner on a permanent basis to join our Supply Chain team based at our National Distribution Centre in Walsall (WS2 8DQ).
The Role
We are looking for an experienced, analytical, and commercially aware Demand Planner to join our supply chain team at the National Distribution Centre in Walsall.
This is a newly created role and an important opportunity to establish a strong demand planning capability within the business.
The business requires someone with clear, proven demand planning experience who can bring forecasting expertise, structure, and best practice to support a more proactive, data-led planning approach.
The successful candidate will help the business operate from a single, trusted view of demand, supporting effective supply planning, purchasing, inventory management, customer service, and operational decision-making.
- Key Tasks
- Help define and embed demand planning processes, governance, reporting, and best practice for this new role within the business.
- Lead the demand planning process, ensuring assumptions, risks, opportunities, and recommendations are clearly communicated to stakeholders.
- Analyse customer order history, customer forecasts, call-off order demand, seasonality, market trends, product lifecycle information, and customer & supplier shutdown impacts.
- Use approved AI tools to convert customer forecasts into the required format, ensuring outputs are reviewed and validated before upload to D365.
- Review forecast variance with Sales and key stakeholders, ensuring gaps, risks, and opportunities are understood and reflected in the demand plan.
Hand over a clear, agreed demand plan to Material Planning to support purchasing, safety stock, lead time, reorder point, and inventory decisions.
- Use demand and inventory segmentation techniques, such as ABC/XYZ analysis, to prioritise planning focus, improve forecast accuracy, and support appropriate inventory strategies.
- Monitor forecast accuracy, bias, service, stock health, inventory turns, excess stock, and obsolete inventory, identifying root causes and driving continuous improvement.
- Contribute to the S&OP process, presenting insights and actions to protect service, capacity, and stock availability.
- The Candidate
You will be a confident and experienced demand planning professional with strong analytical capability, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to turn data into clear insight and practical actions.
You will bring hands-on demand planning knowledge and be comfortable working cross-functionally, challenging assumptions constructively, influencing stakeholders, and helping the business build stronger demand planning discipline.
Essential skills and experience
- 5+ years’ clear demand planning experience, with demonstrable experience owning, developing, or significantly improving a demand planning process.
General material planning experience alone will not be sufficient for this role.
- Experience in a manufacturing, distribution, industrial, or fast-paced supply chain environment.
- Strong understanding of demand planning principles, including forecasting, seasonality, customer demand, product lifecycle management, and inventory control.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and confidence analysing large and complex datasets.
- Confident using Power BI or similar analytics and reporting tools to create insight, track performance, and support data-led planning decisions.
- Experience using an ERP or planning system, ideally Microsoft Dynamics 365 or similar.
- Strong problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder influencing skills.
- Customer-first mindset with strong commercial awareness and a disciplined approach to data accuracy.
Desirable experience
- Experience in using AI tools for demand planning
- Experience with dedicated demand planning, advanced planning, or reporting tools.
- Exposure to structured planning cycles such as S&OP.
- Experience supporting new product introduction, product transitions, or end-of-life planning.
Why join us?
This is an opportunity to make a visible impact across our UK&I business by helping to establish a stronger demand planning capability from the ground up.
You will play a key role in improving forecast accuracy, strengthening supply chain performance, and supporting better business decisions, while working closely with commercial and operational teams to shape a more proactive, data-led planning culture.
What we offer
- 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays. The business does observe a Christmas shutdown period and a maximum of 4 days will be deducted from employees annual leave entitlement.
- On-site parking
- Life insurance *4 basic salary
- Pension
- Employee Assistance Programme
Demand Planner in Birmingham employer: TR, part of the Trifast plc group
At TR, part of Trifast plc, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer that values safety, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Our National Distribution Centre in Walsall fosters a supportive work culture where employees are encouraged to grow and develop their skills, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment. With a focus on operational excellence and employee engagement, we offer a unique opportunity to lead a dedicated team in a dynamic environment.
Contact Details:
TR, part of the Trifast plc group Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Demand Planner in Birmingham
✨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 TR, part of the Trifast plc 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 Planner.
We think you need these skills to ace Demand Planner in Birmingham
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 TR, part of the Trifast plc 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 TR, part of the Trifast plc 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 TR, part of the Trifast plc 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 TR, part of the Trifast plc group.
✨Research Specific Challenges Faced by TR, part of the Trifast plc group
Look into any unique supply chain challenges TR, part of the Trifast plc 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!
