About the Role
This role is suitable for someone with experience in materials planning, inventory control, purchasing, construction supply, wholesale or retail operations who is comfortable working with stock data, supplier lead times and changing customer demand.
Key Responsibilities
Materials Planning: Review current and future material requirements based on sales activity, stock levels and operational demand.
Inventory Monitoring: Monitor stock availability across building materials, fixtures, fittings and related product ranges.
Replenishment Planning: Develop appropriate reorder quantities and replenishment schedules.
Demand Analysis: Review historical usage and sales trends to forecast future material requirements.
Stock Availability: Help maintain sufficient inventory to support customer and operational requirements.
Reorder Points: Maintain appropriate reorder points and minimum stock levels.
Safety Stock: Review safety-stock requirements for high-demand and long-lead-time products.
Purchase Coordination: Work with procurement teams to coordinate purchasing requirements.
Purchase Orders: Support creation and monitoring of purchase orders.
Supplier Follow-Up: Track supplier orders and follow up on delays or shortages.
Lead Time Monitoring: Maintain accurate information regarding supplier lead times.
Shortage Management: Identify potential material shortages before they affect operations.
Alternative Supply: Support identification of alternative suppliers or products when shortages occur.
Stock Analysis: Analyse inventory movement across product categories.
Slow-Moving Stock: Identify products with low turnover and recommend appropriate actions.
Obsolete Inventory: Monitor discontinued or obsolete product lines.
Excess Stock: Identify excess inventory and support plans to reduce unnecessary stock holdings.
Inventory Accuracy: Support regular checks to maintain accurate inventory records.
Stock Reconciliation: Investigate discrepancies between physical stock and system records.
Cycle Counts: Support routine cycle-counting and inventory-verification activities.
Product Categories: Maintain planning information for tiles, sanitary products, fixtures, fittings and other building materials.
Sales Coordination: Work with commercial teams to understand upcoming demand.
Promotional Planning: Support inventory planning for promotions and seasonal activity.
New Product Planning: Assist with stock planning for new product introductions.
Product Lifecycle: Monitor product ranges from introduction through discontinuation.
Supplier Performance: Track supplier delivery reliability and material availability.
Delivery Monitoring: Coordinate expected delivery dates with warehouse teams.
Warehouse Communication: Provide clear information regarding incoming stock and priority materials.
Inventory Reporting: Prepare regular stock and material-planning reports.
KPI Monitoring: Track measures such as stock availability, inventory turnover and supplier delivery performance.
Forecast Accuracy: Review actual demand against previous forecasts.
Planning Improvements: Adjust forecasting methods based on identified trends.
ERP Records: Maintain accurate material and planning information within ERP or inventory systems.
Data Quality: Review product and stock information for errors or missing details.
Working Capital Awareness: Balance inventory availability with the cost of holding excess stock.
Cost Awareness: Consider material cost and commercial value when making planning recommendations.
Supplier Communication: Maintain clear communication with suppliers regarding expected demand.
Order Prioritisation: Prioritise urgent or critical material requirements.
Project Support: Provide material-planning information for commercial and operational projects.
Reporting: Prepare information for management and planning reviews.
System Improvement: Support development and improvement of inventory-planning systems.
Spreadsheet Analysis: Use spreadsheets to analyse stock levels, demand and supplier performance.
Process Documentation: Maintain clear procedures for inventory and materials planning.
Cross-Functional Coordination: Work closely with procurement, warehouse, finance and commercial colleagues.
Issue Resolution: Investigate material-planning and inventory problems.
Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve stock availability and reduce avoidable inventory costs.
What We Are Looking For
Experience: Previous experience in materials planning, inventory management, purchasing, supply chain, construction materials, retail or wholesale operations.
Inventory Knowledge: Good understanding of stock control and replenishment principles.
Planning Skills: Ability to analyse demand and determine future material requirements.
Analytical Ability: Confidence interpreting stock, supplier and sales data.
Numerical Skills: Comfortable working with quantities, forecasts, costs and stock levels.
Supplier Awareness: Understanding of supplier lead times and delivery performance.
Commercial Awareness: Ability to balance product availability with inventory cost.
Data Accuracy: Strong attention to detail when maintaining product and stock records.
Microsoft Excel: Good spreadsheet skills for reporting and inventory analysis.
Systems Experience: Familiarity with ERP, inventory, warehouse or purchasing systems would be advantageous.
Problem Solving: Practical approach to shortages, excess stock and supplier delays.
Organisation: Strong planning and time-management skills.
Prioritisation: Ability to manage urgent material requirements alongside routine planning work.
Communication: Clear written and verbal communication skills.
Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with procurement, warehouse, commercial and finance teams.
Supplier Coordination: Confidence communicating with external suppliers.
Reporting: Ability to prepare clear inventory and planning reports.
Adaptability: Comfortable adjusting plans when demand or supply conditions change.
Independence: Able to manage assigned planning responsibilities with appropriate supervision.
Professional Development: Commitment to developing knowledge of materials planning, inventory control and construction supply chains.
Pay: £2,800.00-£3,300.00 per month
Work Location: In person
