Head of Supply Chain and S&OP in Crawley

About Welland Medical Ltd: Welland Medical brings to market the best and most innovative products that enhance the lives of people living with a stoma across the world. Investing in the most talented people, collaborating to create world-class, ground-breaking products and services devoted to improving peoples’ lives. We are passionate about making a difference in the world. Welland Medical is a part of Clinimed Holdings Limited, a prominent figure in the Healthcare and Medical Equipment sector.

Job Summary: The purpose of this role is to lead end-to-end supply chain, procurement, and S&OP activities at Welland Medical. The role holder will act as the single accountable owner of the supply plan, covering the full value chain from strategic sourcing and order intake through to demand planning, production planning, materials management, and stores operations.

Benefits:

• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Medical Cash Back Plan
• Life Assurance (4 x Annual Gross)
• Annual Performance Bonus
• Annual Pay Review
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Free Yearly Flu Vaccination
• Discounts on Selected Products and Services
• Employee Assistance Programme – Health and Wellbeing
• Annual Leaves - 25 Days Per Year Rising to 27 Days After 5 Years Service in Addition to Bank Holidays and An Extra Company Day (And Christmas Shutdown)

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• Own and lead the monthly S&OP cycle, including demand review, supply review, integrated reconciliation, and executive S&OP.
• Own forecast accuracy at SKU level and maintain the integrity of the consolidated demand plan.
• Lead product segmentation (ABC/XYZ analysis by volume and variability) and translate outputs into differentiated planning strategies, including MTS, MTO, MTF, replenishment rules, and inventory targets.
• Optimise the production plan based on demand analysis by determining sequencing, batch sizes, and capacity allocation to maximise throughput and minimise landed cost per unit.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to shape demand through pricing, promotions, new product introduction phasing, and customer mix to reduce volatility and improve plan stability.
• Balance customer service and operational efficiency, clearly defining trade-offs and presenting decision-ready options to the Senior Leadership Team.
• Convert the agreed S&OP plan into the Master Production Schedule, maintaining ownership of the frozen planning horizon.
• Lead the end-to-end procurement function, including strategic sourcing, category management, supplier negotiation, and supplier relationship management.
• Oversee materials management, including MRP, inbound logistics, expediting, and operational purchasing.
• Drive supplier performance, ensuring on-time-in-full delivery and delivering material cost reductions.
• Manage inventory across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods in line with agreed policies.
• Lead stores operations, including inventory accuracy, picking, goods receipt, and kit-to-line processes.
• Oversee order intake and order processing activities.
• Reduce lead times towards industry benchmarks while minimising and controlling order backlog.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Customer service level (OTIF to customer; case fill rate)
• Lead time to customer
• Backlog value (£) and backlog duration (days of demand)
• Forecast accuracy and bias
• Production plan adherence (% of frozen horizon delivered without change)
• Batch optimisation efficiency, including adherence to optimal run lengths and sequencing, and changeover time as a percentage of available production time
• Supplier OTIF performance
• Delivery of material cost reductions against target
• Inventory levels expressed in days cover (raw materials, WIP, finished goods)
• Stores accuracy and pick accuracy
• Order acknowledgement cycle time

Personal Specifications:

Essential:

• University degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Supply Chain / Operations Management, or Engineering (manufacturing-focused preferred).
• Senior-level end-to-end supply chain leadership experience within a regulated manufacturing environment (e.g., medical devices, pharmaceutical, food, or aerospace industries).
• Proven experience designing and operating a credible S&OP cycle within a manufacturing organisation of comparable scale.
• Demonstrable expertise in product segmentation (ABC/XYZ, MTS/MTO/MTF) and translating this into differentiated planning, replenishment, and inventory strategies.
• Experience optimising production sequencing and batch sizing decisions based on demand analysis.
• Direct experience leading materials management and strategic sourcing, including category management, supplier negotiation, and cost-down initiatives.
• Strong track record of partnering effectively with Sales and Marketing to shape demand (pricing, promotions, product mix, and NPI phasing) while maintaining discipline in plan execution.
• High level of numerical and analytical capability, with confidence in building, challenging, and interpreting forecast, capacity, and inventory models.
• Proven ability to deliver step-change improvements in lead time reduction and backlog reduction.
• Comfortable making and presenting clear customer service vs operational efficiency trade-offs at Senior Leadership Team level.

Desirable:

• APICS or CIPS certification.
• Experience within the medical device or pharmaceutical supply chain sector.
• Experience implementing integrated planning systems such as SAP IBP, Kinaxis, Anaplan, o9, or similar platforms.