Head of Operations (Supply Chain) FMCG

Head of Operations (Supply Chain) – FMCG

Based in London

£70k + Car/allowance

Our client is looking for an experienced senior supply chain professional with a background within FMCG to lead a demand planning team, S&OP and can be an immediate start so will consider interim or permanent.

Job Purpose

Lead all end to end operational processes in the UK&I to drive excellent execution and act a link between ‘in country’operations and centralised operation functions within EMEA.

Take responsibility for ensuring all customer requirements are met from stock availability to compliant on time in full delivery and will deliver essential business decision support to the UK&I leadership team by providing commercial recommendations and presenting data driven solutions.

Key Duties

• Lead process control and execution of all operational processes in the UK&I, serving as a critical link between RHQ and the output into the marketplace locally in order to deliver a high standard of customer experience
• Full accountability for local demand planning, event planning and customer support operations
• Ensure appropriate level of demand is forecasted for the UK&I by driving the monthly demand review process with the Commercial and Finance teams, and the regional EMEA teams
• Focus on the forecast accuracy improvement and alignment of the demand plan to budget, whilst also ensuring alignment to product category, retailer specific and brand growth plans.
• Lead local S&OP process and support EMEA S&OP process, ensuring reconciliation between sales and demand forecasts for appropriate stock planning providing information at brand, group and regional level as required
• Develop, monitor and communicate supply chain and customer service KPI’s including but not limited to, Availability, OTIF customer non-compliances, complaints, forecast accuracy, retail sales performance
• Root cause ad correct service challenges across supply chain
• Provide data for commercial decision making on prioritisation of product when challenges occur
• Execution of UK&I quota/allocation management for challenges/restricted stock items
• Monitor and communicate IT KPI’s, escalating challenges to the EMEA RHQ as appropriate
• Manage an operational budget, as well as indirectly impacting the wider UK&I revenue budget by contributing to forecast and influencing budget allocation in other areas such as marketing spend
• Identify supply chain improvement projects and actively contribute from project conception and implementation to project review
• Ensure new customer requirements / new channels / new customers / new brands are adequately communicated to regional supply chain teams and systematically controlled to prevent delays in non-conformance, ensuring excellent execution
• Continual evaluation of skills needed and creation of development plans for individuals as required
• Coach and mentor a developing team driving autonomy at appropriate level within the team
• Creation and maintenance of an environment that engages and motivates individuals and promotes team work
• Succession planning and risk migration for individual roles

Candidate requirements

• Experience in leading end to end demand and supply chain operations in a customer focussed environment, ideally within the retail or FMCG sector
• Demand & Supply Planning experience
• Ability to influence the business commercially and effectively manage stakeholders, including remote teams
• Proven customer delivery focus
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to think holistically whilst still being close to the detail
• Experience of leading collaborations across sales and marketing, and delivering effective planning with retail partners/customers
• Drive to deliver change and challenge processes to deliver efficiencies
• Ability to effectively lead, manage and develop a team
• Knowledge of reviewing and implementing business KPI’s
• Strong budget management skills
• SAP Experience
• Experience of working with third party warehouses

To apply for this position, please forward a copy of your CV with salary requirements to andy@supplychainrec.co.uk