Full job descriptionSupply Chain & Planning ManagerSalary: £55,000 - £65,000 p.a. (dependent on experience) + up to 5% company performance bonusLocation: Near Chelmsford; On-site, 5 days per week Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm (40 hrs/week)We are working with a growing, values-led FMCG manufacturing business looking for an experienced Supply Chain & Planning Manager to take ownership of their Planning, Procurement, and New Product Development (NPD) functions. This is a rare opportunity to shape strategy as well as run operations - reporting directly into senior operations management, with genuine influence over how the business plans, sources, and brings new products to market.You’ll lead a team of four, and your decisions will be felt right across the business - from the shop floor to the boardroom. If you thrive in a fast-paced SME environment, enjoy building and developing teams, and want a role where continuous improvement isn’t just encouraged but expected, we would love to hear from you.The RoleThis is a broad, high-impact role at the heart of the business. You will lead the planning and supply chain teams, ensuring business and customer requirements are met in a cost-effective, efficient way - while shaping the strategic direction of supply chain, procurement, and product development. Working closely with production, technical, and commercial colleagues, your remit will span:Planning, Forecasting & Stock*Own capacity planning, demand forecasting, and the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process end to end
*Manage materials and stock to agreed targets, balancing availability against cost efficiency, and maintaining stock accuracy
*Work with Commercial and Operations to identify capacity constraints and lead the development of solutions
Procurement & Purchasing
*Lead procurement activity and develop and execute purchasing strategy, particularly around packaging
*Ensure ethical, responsible, and sustainable practices across the supply base, and that the Ethical Trade Policy is embedded with suppliers
*Verify goods received and dispatched meet quality, packaging, and regulatory standards, including Dangerous Goods/IATA requirements where relevant
New Product Development*Support feasibility investigations for new products, feeding recommendations back to the Commercial Sponsor
*Own the smooth, on-time, on-spec, on-cost launch of new and revised products
*Oversee documentation for new products, materials, and suppliers, ensuring full traceability for audit and quality purposes
*Monitor regulatory change and keep products compliant with evolving legislation
Continuous Improvement & Cost*Set KPIs and reporting structures across the department for daily, weekly, and monthly performance visibility
*Own the departmental budget, contribute to annual budgeting and forecasting, and oversee Capex planning and ROI
*Drive a genuine continuous improvement culture, building and delivering a pipeline of lean, cost-reduction projects
Quality & Service
*Take ownership of ISO procedures and standards (ISO 9001, BRCGS, GMP) across supply chain and logistics
*Lead root cause analysis on customer complaints, non-conformances, and service failures, embedding preventative action
*Support other department managers in resolving day-to-day operational issues to keep production plans and efficiency targets on track
EHS & Compliance*Champion a strong safety culture, agreeing and enforcing standards and leading by example
*Contribute to the site’s sustainability and B-Corp goals across supply chain, materials, and product development
*Maintain compliance
Strategy*Identify and lead strategic improvements across materials, stock, logistics, product cost engineering, and planning
*Partner with senior management to shape long-term strategy for supply chain and logistics
*Confidently challenge upwards and influence across functions to get the right outcomes for the business
What We’re Looking For*Strong leadership and a natural sense of ownership
*Sound decision-making under pressure
*Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge and influence across all levels
*A proven ability to build, coach, and develop a team
*Solid experience in planning, forecasting, and stock control
*A track record of driving continuous improvement and cost reduction
*Experience managing change within an SME environment
*A minimum of 5 years’ experience in supply chain or distribution, ideally with exposure to both FMCG and SME environments
What’s On OfferUp to 5% non-contractual company performance bonus
Pension (minimum statutory employee contribution, 6% company contribution)
24 days holiday, rising to 25 after 5 years, plus bank holidays