Inventory Optimiser (Materials Planning – Supply Chain and Logistics)
Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:
1. We are offering a competitive starting salary, depending on experience, 4b, £34,834 - £43,542
2. Annual incentive related bonus (£1000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year).
3. Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution).
4. Continuous training and support in line with the Materials Planning progression plan.
5. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus an extra wellness day!
6. Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary.
7. A great benefits package – choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
8. Retail savings scheme.
9. Online GP service, Employee Assistance Programme, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!
Location: Yorkshire Water Logistics Centre, Foxbridge Way, WF6. pending relocation to Leeds (LS10)
Work type: Permanent. You’ll be working 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday. Hybrid working, 2 - 3 days each week will be on site at the logistics centre.
We are currently looking to recruit an Inventory Optimiser – (critical, low-volume maintenance spares, supporting essential services) to join our Supply Chain and Logistics team at our Logistics Centre here at Yorkshire Water. You will be a part of helping Yorkshire Water provide the best service to our customers. Could this be you?
What we do!
Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this.
We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.
New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry.
The Supply Chain and Logistics team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. Yorkshire Water is therefore transforming the way it manages inventory, materials availability, logistics and materials planning to better support asset reliability and service performance. We are creating enhanced capability in inventory planning to ensure that the right products, parts and critical spares are available in the right locations at the right time.
Where you fit in!
As an Inventory Optimiser, you will play a key role in shaping, improving and embedding the new Materials Planning & Logistics operating model. You’ll support the design and delivery of better inventory strategies, stock parameters, planning processes and performance insights to lift availability, reduce waste, and strengthen asset readiness across Yorkshire Water.
Working closely with supply planning, warehousing, logistics, engineering and commercial teams, you will analyse demand and supply data, optimise stock levels, improve forecasting accuracy, and create the right controls and governance for critical spares. You will champion good practice in materials planning and help teams adopt new systems, metrics, and decision-making routines.
What skills, experience & qualifications you will need:
Degree or equivalent experience in Supply Chain, Business, Data Analytics, Engineering, or a related discipline with a strong analytical component.
Deep expertise in inventory optimisation, stock balancing, and demand planning using data-driven approaches.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including:
10. Power Query for data transformation and automation – M Language
11. Power Pivot for building robust data models – DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)
12. and integration with Power BI for dynamic, visual reporting and insight generation.
Strong working knowledge of ERP systems (SAP S/4HANA) and their role in inventory and supply chain data flows.
Proven ability to work with large, complex datasets, performing data cleansing, transformation, and analysis to support operational decisions.
Excellent attention to detail, with a structured and methodical approach to problem-solving.
Effective communicator and collaborator, able to translate analytical findings into clear, actionable recommendations for stakeholders across supply chain, operations, and finance
It is desirable that you can demonstrate experience and knowledge in:
13. Supply chain operations, inventory management or materials planning.
14. Order management, replenishment logic, warehouse operations and logistics.
15. Analysing and interpret operational and stock data, including KPIs and root-cause drivers.
16. Stakeholder management across operations, engineering, procurement and commercial functions.
17. Simplifying complex data into clear, actionable recommendations.
18. Proactively managing multiple and competing priorities.
You will also benefit from having:
19. Water industry experience or a background in asset-critical operational environments (, regulated utilities, or other high-criticality environments).
20. Experience with inventory optimisation tools or supply chain systems.
21. Experience in improving stock availability and critical spares readiness.
22. Development of better forecasting, planning, and replenishment logic.
23. Demonstrated a reduction in overstocks and unplanned shortages.
24. Demonstrated strong data-driven decision-making and KPI development.
25. Improved alignments between warehouses, engineering and planning functions.
26. A more mature, modern inventory management capability – suitable for Yorkshire Water.
If you’re experienced in materials planning and want to help us deliver exceptional service for our customers whilst protecting the environment, then apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer for you.