Role Purpose
Own the end‑to‑end supply chain for a fast‑moving B2B distribution business with a large SKU portfolio (5,000-50,000+) across multiple categories and suppliers. You'll ensure product availability, cost control, and service excellence by optimising demand planning, inventory, purchasing, supplier performance, and logistics operations (inbound/outbound and 3PL).
Key Responsibilities
Demand, Planning & Inventory
- Lead the demand planning cycle and forecast accuracy (SKU/location level) using historicals, seasonality, promotions, and customer signals.
- Design inventory strategies by segment (ABC/XYZ) to balance OTIF (e.g., 98%+) with working capital and obsolescence risk.
- Set and maintain min/max, safety stock, and reorder policies across high SKU counts; manage parameter governance.
- Drive S&OP/IBP cadence with Sales, Category, and Finance to align plan vs. actuals and mitigate gaps.
Purchasing & Supplier Management
- Own end‑to‑end purchasing, ensuring right product, quantity, price, and lead time.
- Negotiate pricing, MOQs, Incoterms, rebates, and service levels; execute cost‑down and value‑engineering initiatives.
- Build supplier scorecards (OTIF, lead time adherence, quality, responsiveness) and run quarterly business reviews.
- Diversify supply base, mitigate risk, and improve resilience (dual sourcing, nearshoring options where relevant).
- Manage contract terms and compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Logistics & Operations
- Oversee inbound logistics (ocean/air/road), customs readiness, and alignment to delivery windows.
- Optimise warehouse and 3PL performance: pick accuracy, productivity, dock utilisation, and space optimisation.
- Lead transport performance (on‑time delivery, DIFOT, cost per drop), routing efficiency, and carrier performance.
- Implement continuous improvement across order‑to‑delivery, reducing lead times and touchpoints.
Data, Systems & Process
- Own MRP/ERP planning parameters and the integrity of master data (SKUs, lead times, pack size, MOQ, attributes).
- Leverage reporting and analytics (e.g., Power BI/Excel) to drive insight‑led decisions.
- Standardise processes (SOPs, RACI), embed controls, and lead automation/advanced planning tool enhancements.
Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Lead and develop a supply chain team (planners, buyers, logistics leads); create a high‑performance culture.
- Partner with Sales, Commercial, Category, and Finance to balance service, cost, and cash priorities.
- Communicate clearly with customers on availability, lead times, and service recovery where needed.
Key Metrics (KPIs)
- Service: OTIF/DIFOT %, backorders, fill rate by channel/category.
- Inventory: Days/Weeks of Supply, stock turns, working capital, obsolescence/write‑offs.
- Purchasing: Cost savings %, PPV, supplier OTIF, lead time adherence.
- Logistics: Delivery on‑time %, cost‑to‑serve, pick/pack accuracy, damages/returns.
- Planning: Forecast accuracy/bias (MAPE), schedule adherence, parameter accuracy.
- People & Process: Engagement, training completion, CI pipeline, SOP compliance.
Candidate Profile
Essential
- Proven experience in B2B distribution or wholesale with high SKU counts and complex assortments.
- End‑to‑end exposure to demand planning, inventory management, purchasing, and logistics/3PL.
- Strong MRP/ERP proficiency (e.g., SAP, Oracle, MS Dynamics) and advanced Excel; comfortable with dashboards/BI.
- Commercial acumen: total cost of ownership (TCO), cost‑to‑serve, and margin protection.
- Track record of improving service levels, reducing stockouts/overstocks, and delivering cost savings.
- Team leadership experience: hiring, coaching, performance management.
- Excellent stakeholder skills and a data‑driven approach.
Desirable
- S&OP/IBP leadership experience.
- Experience with ABC/XYZ segmentation, demand sensing, and safety stock optimisation tools.
- 3PL contract management and transport optimisation.
- Category/vendor‑managed inventory (VMI) or CPFR exposure.
- Professional qualifications (e.g., CIPS, APICS/ASCM, Lean Six Sigma).
Tools & Systems
- ERP/MRP: SAP / Oracle / Microsoft Dynamics (or similar)
- Planning & Analytics: Excel, Power BI/Tableau; APS tools a plus
- WMS/TMS: Familiarity with warehouse and transport systems
- Collaboration: MS 365/Teams, SharePoint
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