Material Planner
The Role:
The Material Planner is responsible for ensuring the availability of stock to meet customer demand while optimising inventory levels, reducing obsolescence, and supporting overall business efficiency. This role acts as a key link between procurement, suppliers, warehouse operations, and sales teams to ensure smooth product flow through the distribution network.
Key Responsibilities:
Planning & Inventory Management
- Develop and maintain material planning parameters (safety stock, lead times, reorder points) within the ERP/MRP system.
- Monitor demand forecasts, customer orders, and usage trends to create accurate material requirements plans.
- Maintain optimal inventory levels to balance customer service with working capital targets.
- Identify slow-moving or obsolete stock and recommend action plans.
Supplier & Procurement Support
- Work closely with the procurement team to place purchase orders in line with planning requirements.
- Monitor supplier performance (on-time delivery, lead times, quality issues) and escalate risks where required.
- Liaise with suppliers to resolve shortages, delays, or discrepancies.
Operational Coordination
- Collaborate with warehouse teams to ensure stock is received, stored, and rotated efficiently.
- Support sales and customer service teams with stock availability queries and order fulfilment priorities.
- Coordinate with logistics for inbound deliveries to ensure timely replenishment.
Reporting & Analysis
- Produce regular reports on stock levels, demand forecast accuracy, supplier performance, and availability.
- Support the Procurement Manager with KPIs relating to service levels, stock turns, and cost savings.
- Analyse demand/supply trends and recommend continuous improvement initiatives.
Key measures & targets:
- Stock availability (service levels).
- Inventory accuracy and stock turns.
- Supplier on-time delivery performance.
- Reduction in obsolete/slow-moving stock.
- Forecast accuracy.
Key relationships:
- Procurement Manager
- Procurement Coordinator
- Sales Team Leaders
Person Specification:
The successful candidate is likely to meet all of the following criteria:
Essential
- Previous experience in a material planning, inventory management, or procurement role (ideally in a distribution or wholesale environment).
- Working knowledge of CRM systems
- Computer literate
- Knowledge of supply chain and procurement best practices.
Desirable
- CIPS Qualification or working towards.
- Experience working within a data driven environment
About BCS Group:
BCS Group, a subsidiary of Barhale Holdings Plc, is a privately owned company. We are a leading supplier of safety and construction products and services that has depots in both the Midlands and Scotland. We pride ourselves on providing a first-class service to all our customers, ensuring the right product or solution is delivered to the right location on time. With over 5,000 items within our core range, BCS Group can fulfil any order and ensure it is delivered directly via our dedicated transport fleet or those of our partners.
Manufacturing: Our capabilities include standard and bespoke signage, labels, temporary and permanent road traffic signs and bespoke steel fabrication/installation which includes footbridges, walkways, flooring, guardrails, ladders and tunnelling products.
Extensive Stock Range: Distributor of leading industry brands in PPE & clothing, traffic management, safety & lifting and site equipment products. These include Bollé, Pulsar, Globus, Rock Fall, Progarm, Portwest, Melba Swintex, Oxford Plastics, JSP, Nissen, Carters, Orafol, Crowcon, Radiodetection, Dräger, Ridgegear, and Plant Nappy.
Safety Equipment Servicing: Specialist safety & lifting repair, calibration and inspection since 1999. We have our own purpose-built maintenance and calibration facility for gas detection, cable avoidance, breathing apparatus and lifting equipment which along with our fully equipped mobile calibration unit is where all maintenance and repairs are carried out. Our staff are trained and fully qualified in the maintenance, calibration and inspection of a full range of specialist safety & lifting equipment.
Our People: With a direct workforce philosophy, the company culture is driven by our core values, which describe how we act day-to-day. We ensure all your needs are met through our national call centre and dedicated account management.
Triple Accreditation: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 50001:2011 standards, which means our customers can have complete confidence that we have an ongoing commitment to be a safe, efficient and responsible partner.
How to apply:
Please send your current CV and cover email outlining your suitability for the role and quoting the reference number to careers@barhale.co.uk.