Sales Operations Planning Manager

Our client is a fast-growing international consumer products business with a strong portfolio of well-known brands and a presence in markets around the world. The European business is going through a major transformation, with new ways of working across sales, marketing, planning and logistics. A new Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process is central to that change. This is a rare chance to build a function from the ground up and make a real difference to how the business runs.

As Senior S&OP Manager, you’ll design and lead the European S&OP process from scratch, reporting to the EU Planning Director. You’ll set the monthly planning cycle across demand, supply and financial reconciliation, and set the pace for Sales, Marketing, Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Logistics and Finance so the whole business works to one plan. You’ll decide who is responsible for what and create the templates and agendas for every S&OP meeting. You’ll also build the KPI dashboard from scratch, covering forecast accuracy, bias, case fill rate and inventory value. You’ll launch the process in a lead market, either the UK or Germany, then roll it out across Europe. Along the way you’ll train local planners and help choose the planning tools the region will use in the future. Much of the work will be hands-on: you’ll gather data, combine demand and supply inputs and turn them into reports, decks and tools that help leaders make decisions. You’ll also chair the Executive S&OP meeting and move it on from short-term updates to longer-term strategic choices.

We’re looking for an experienced S&OP professional experience in supply chain and a track record of putting in place, or significantly redesigning, an S&OP or IBP process. You’ll be confident building a framework where few formal tools or processes exist yet, and happy to roll up your sleeves with Excel, Google Sheets and the data yourself. Experience with advanced planning tools would be a plus.

You’ll need the credibility to influence senior leaders with competing priorities and hold people to account. That will take tact, strong communication skills and high emotional intelligence. Strong project management skills and resilience are important, as well as other European languages being highly advantageous. This role would suit someone who enjoys ownership and ambiguity and wants to build something meaningful.

The salary is £70,000 to £80,000 plus a discretionary annual bonus based on individual performance. The role is based in London with hybrid working. If you live within 75 minutes of the office, you’ll be in three days a week and work from home for two. If you live further away, you’ll be in two days and work from home for three.