Steele Charles are delighted to have been retained in supporting a long standing food manufacturing client in Somerset, seeking a Planner/ Stock controller to join their supply Chain function.
Our client is seeking a proactive
Stock & Planning Coordinator
to play a key role in managing material availability, production planning, and stock control. The successful candidate will ensure that sales forecasts and customer demand are met efficiently, while maintaining accurate data and supporting continuous improvement in planning systems.
Key Responsibilities
* Track raw material demand based on customer and sales orders/forecasts, collaborating with Purchasing to ensure material availability.
* Produce a weekly stock shortage report highlighting critical raw materials.
* Generate regular stock reports, including monthly Fair for Life sales updates.
* Create weekly production schedules for milling, prepared by Wednesday of the prior week, aligned with material and production availability (including maintenance downtime).
* Work with the Operations team to ensure production plans reflect business needs, while adapting to external changes when necessary.
* Identify significant changes in demand, take corrective action, and approve amendments as required.
* Validate the accuracy of forward demand profiles, challenging anomalies where identified.
* Monitor demand trends and recurring constraints, proposing effective long-term solutions.
* Ensure stock items are available for kilo and liquid customers — both raw ingredients and cut/blended products — working closely with Sales and Packing teams.
* Schedule rework and sorting tasks for the warehouse team, liaising with Quality to minimise stock on hold.
* Identify slow-moving or obsolete stock, organise quarterly review meetings, and propose preventative actions.
* Coordinate with Warehouse, Planning, and Sales to manage stock movements between virtual and physical multi-site warehouses.
* Take ownership of stock data accuracy in Sage, ensuring correct locations, quantities, lot codes, and FIFO compliance.
* Drive the adoption of Sage stock control modules and act as a key contributor to embedding Sage ways of working across Warehouse, Purchasing, and Sales.
* Plan processing of specific customer orders and monitor wastage levels via the Milling Schedule.
* Organise the annual stock take and reconcile discrepancies between physical stock and Sage.
* Manage and negotiate contracts with third-party logistics providers.
* Provide cover for other team members during absences.
* Develop planning systems further, including works order processing and production planning.
Broader Responsibilities
* Ensure a safe, clean, and well-organised working environment.
* Facilitate and support knowledge transfer across teams.
* Identify opportunities to grow sales and reduce costs.
* Provide support to colleagues as needed, demonstrating flexibility and teamwork.
* Champion the adoption of Sage processes across the business, acting as a Sage "super-user" and training others.
The Candidate profile
* Proven track record in stock control and inventory management.
* Experience in customer and material demand planning.
* Skilled in using stock control systems and Excel (intermediate to advanced level).
* Previous experience working within a manufacturing and/or warehouse environment.
* Strong IT proficiency, including Word, Excel, databases, and ideally Sage 200.
* Analytical and practical approach to problem-solving.
* Strong numerical skills with the ability to interpret and work confidently with data.
* High level of attention to detail combined with excellent organisational ability.
* Effective communicator with strong verbal and written skills.
* Proactive, customer-focused mindset.
* Collaborative team player who contributes positively to the wider business.
If this role could be of interest, please don't hesitate to submit an up to date CV or reach out for more information.