Position Summary
The Beal Group is seeking to appoint a proactive and detail-oriented Materials, Inventory & Purchasing Planner to strengthen planning, inventory management and purchasing coordination across all business units.
This role is responsible for ensuring the timely availability of materials to support production schedules, maintaining optimal inventory levels, and placing supplier orders to support operational continuity. The successful candidate will work closely with production, warehousing, finance, and suppliers to balance stock availability, cost control, and service performance.
The role will also support the development and implementation of future inventory and planning systems as the business continues to grow and improve its operational capabilities.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan, schedule and monitor material requirements to support production and operational demands.
- Analyse historical usage trends, forecasts and production schedules to determine future material requirements.
- Maintain inventory levels within agreed targets, balancing stock availability with working capital efficiency.
- Monitor stock movements and identify slow-moving or obsolete inventory.
- Maintain accurate inventory records and reporting systems.
- Develop and maintain reorder points, safety stock levels and inventory planning processes.
- Raise purchase orders and coordinate supplier deliveries.
- Track supplier orders and proactively manage potential shortages or delays.
- Liaise closely with production, warehousing, finance and suppliers to ensure material availability.
- Produce regular inventory, purchasing and planning reports.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives within planning, inventory and purchasing processes.
- Assist in the development, implementation and optimisation of future inventory management and ERP systems.
- Ensure purchasing and inventory activities comply with company policies and controls.
Key Skills & Experience
- Proven experience in materials planning, inventory management, purchasing or supply chain roles within a manufacturing environment.
- Strong understanding of inventory control principles and material requirements planning.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills with the ability to analyse data and build planning tools.
- Experience managing inventory and purchasing processes using spreadsheets, inventory software, accounting systems or similar business systems.
- Experience participating in business system improvements or ERP implementations would be advantageous but is not essential.
- Strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- Commercial awareness and understanding of cost, quality and service impacts on business performance.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Material availability rate against production requirements.
- Forecast and material planning accuracy.
- Reduction in stock-outs and production interruptions caused by material shortages.
- Number of urgent or emergency purchase orders.
- Inventory turnover ratio.
- Inventory accuracy and stock reconciliation performance.
- Value of obsolete and slow-moving stock.
- Working capital tied up in inventory.
- Supplier on-time delivery performance.
- Procurement cycle time from requisition to order placement.
- Supplier quality and delivery compliance.
- Successful contribution to the implementation and adoption of future inventory management and ERP systems.
Pay: £30,000.00-£35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
