Supply Chain Planner

Runcorn, England, United Kingdom

We are Protein Works™

Rewind to 12th December 2012. Out of a freezing cold office (because we couldn’t afford heating back then!), our founders huddled round a couple of laptops. This was the moment. After a year of working round the clock and a lifetime of tempering the thirst to create a world class brand, we pressed LAUNCH. That was the moment Protein Works.™ website went live to the world.

It’s not an overly fancy story, we know. There’re no garages worked out of, no office in the Bay Area to talk up. But fancy isn’t in our DNA, innovation is. With the idea to rock the very foundations of a sports nutrition industry that had become stagnant, we set out to create a health and fitness brand that put pure quality & wow service before the lowest possible price. We knew we’d be the underdogs from the very beginning. But you know what? We love that.

The Role: Supply Chain Planner (Production)

This role is based within our vertically integrated Manufacturing & Logistics Centre in Runcorn and has the following main responsibilities:

Create daily, weekly and monthly production plans to optimise manufacturing performance, whilst considering allergen controls, labour resource and commercial priorities

Review daily the factory output against plan and adjust plans accordingly in an agile manner

Schedule ad hoc production runs for global customer orders for both Protein Works & abnormal brands

Monitor and maintain finished goods inventory levels on both a short and long term view basis

Participate In S&OP Process

Co-ordinate & model sales forecasts to ensure demand needs are met in a timely & efficient manner

Ensure production runs are aligned with Online, Amazon and International Trade channel requirements

Collaborate with the Production Team to drive continuous improvement

Present data insights and management information in a compelling manner to support production resource decisions and future strategic plans

Work closely with the whole Supply Chain Planning to provide the wider business a clear direction on supply chain challenges

Liaise with key functions across the business including Procurement, Commercial, Fulfilment and NPD

Play a key role in the launch of new products and the discontinuation of old ones

Develop and improve existing planning tools to support our high growth strategy

The successful candidate will ideally have an excellent understanding of food manufacturing and some experience within a planning function. The candidate should also be interested in driving improvements through team collaboration across the business.

Immediate Responsibilities and Hot Projects

Plot, Plan and Deliver on the following:

Immediately take over the day-to-day production planning function.

Review our current working practices and trigger improvements at proliferated pace.

Develop effective working relationships with the key resources in the business.

Improve our production planning to improve ‘out of stocks’ and also manage stock levels.

Improving our stock cover across all skus and ensuring under/over stocks are managed effectively.

Partner with Commercial, NPD, Technical and Operations colleagues on a daily basis.

Work with the Head of Planning and the Manufacturing’s team to identify better ways of working and support with implementing a ‘continuous improvement’ culture

Challenge positively the plan attainment, stock levels and ingredient levels.

Daily reporting and managing of key metrics.

Ability to work effectively on your own and use your own initiative

The Things You’ll Nail as Standard

Create reports and presentations for the wider business

Ability to use excel to a high level as part of your core responsibilities

Coordinating with internal teams and individuals to develop an effective way of working

Regular communication with the operational team and senior management team

Oversee the current planning process for a hundreds of product lines

Well-organised, with an eye for detail in everything you do

A strong work ethos to document key working processes and practices

Attending and contributing to planning and operational meetings.

Supporting the commercial team with key information for effective decision making.

Great team worker and the ability to see a ‘challenge as an opportunity’.

You’re Naturally Like This…

Possess a “can-do” attitude

Highly enthusiastic with a drive to improve and develop new ways of working and improving

Have a growing strategic mindset and appreciation

Avid self-learner & teacher

Highly motivated self-starter with a flexible, can-do attitude

An uncommonly fast-learner

Place a high value on delivering business impact

Able to trade-off short & long-term targets and have a history of making the right calls

Positively impatient

Great at building positive, productive collaborations and teams

Competent at extracting information and make effective use of it

Excellent interpersonal skills

Ability to clearly communicate complex topics in simple terms, to a variety of audiences

Non-Negotiables

Highly organised and excellent verbal and written skills

Ability to multi-task and deliver to deadlines

Ability to lead and motivate, and challenge as required

Proven experience in a planning or business forecasting role

Excellent relationship building skills and ability to influence at various levels

Desirables

Degree educated

Experience in FMCG / Sports Nutrition category

Experience of working in an E-Commerce vertically integrated business

We Think This Type of Person Would Kill the Role!

An exceptional graduate with work placement or work experience in an analytical role

A strong planner who has 2-3 years experience in a similar role

A highly numerate executive looking for a challenging commercial role