Supply Chain Manager - B2B
other jobs Gleeson Recruitment Group
Added before 2 Days
- England,West Midlands,Birmingham
- Full Time, Permanent
- £55,000 - £65,000 per annum
Job Description:
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 ResponsibilitiesDemand, 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 ProfileEssential *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
At Gleeson Recruitment Group, we embrace inclusivity and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We are proud to be a disability confident employer.
By applying you will be registered as a candidate with Gleeson Recruitment Limited. Our Privacy Policy is available on our website and explains how we will use your data.
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 ResponsibilitiesDemand, 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 ProfileEssential *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
At Gleeson Recruitment Group, we embrace inclusivity and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We are proud to be a disability confident employer.
By applying you will be registered as a candidate with Gleeson Recruitment Limited. Our Privacy Policy is available on our website and explains how we will use your data.
Job number 3419136
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Company Details:
Gleeson Recruitment Group
Company size: 100–249 employees
Industry: Recruitment Consultancy
Gleeson Recruitment Group was set up by the three Directors in 2011, with the vision of creating a business founded on trust, transparency and integri...