come + join us!

Responsible for:

The lead planner is responsible for supporting and delivering the overall KPIs within the planning team including; service level, inventory and waste targets by driving processes, accuracy and efficiency across the team. They will also be responsible for owning the operational relationship and planning for our most strategically important co manufacturers and be the planning lead for key projects. The lead planner will also be expected deputise for the Operations manager where appropriate i.e. holidays etc

Purpose of role:

The Lead Planner will be an area expert and key mentor to follow production planners. They will be a key support to operations manager – ensuring processes are working effectively – essentially having the right stock in the right place at the right time, reducing cost whilst maximising availability, efficiency, and profitability across all co mans/SKUs. They will be a key operational contact/planner of our most strategically important co manufacturers.

Role activities / responsibilities:

• Resolve operational issues, gather and drive ideas for improvements and lead continuous improvement projects including; service improvement, inventory optimisation and accuracy, waste reduction improvements etc (across all co mans/SKUs working with fellow planners). Completing analysis and leading key month end reporting to ensure we are in line with our targets and meeting financial reporting requirements.
• Be area subject expert in planning and planning tools – supporting key planning related projects and change management within the team.

• Role may also have a Helps (Production planner) reporting through to them – including general people management, training, coaching and supporting helps level roles to achieve their potential. Regardless, the lead planner will be expected to support fellow planners in issue resolution, training and be subject matter expert.
• Alongside the above the Lead Planner will be expected to own relationship/s of most strategically important co manufacturer/s.
  • Manage production requirements, and confirm forecast and production orders to Ella’s manufacturers, to ensure we are holding the right amount of stock. This includes aligning Ella’s production requirements with manufacturing capacity, availability of raw materials, and retailer demand fluctuations.
  • Completion of key daily/weekly tasks to ensuring our planning systems and inventory are accurate. Examples include - daily booking of finished goods in processes in SAP, maintaining accuracy of inbound dates, service level risk reporting, waste reporting and key month end reporting/stock reconciliations.
  • Develop strong working relationships with our manufacturers, taking on the role of influencer to ensure that we get the best outcome for Ella’s whilst still living our values with our suppliers. You will be the key operational contact for one of our biggest manufacturers and also for some of our other strategic partners.
  • Manage stock levels efficiently, minimising waste and cash tied into stock.
  • Support the development of new products by co-ordinating trials and availability of raw materials and packaging and contributing into project meetings.
  • Drive improvements to the planning process and the day-to-day management of the manufacturer
  • Track and report on supplier KPIs and find ways to drive improvement collaboratively
  • Day to day problem solving
  • Working collaboratively across the internal Ella’s teams to ensure clarity, accuracy and consistency of information flow
  • Support the S&OP process with internal and external partners; ensure appropriate forecasts are provided to our partners and internal teams - ensuring we have sufficient capacity at our manufacturers.
  • Live the Ella's values and engage our suppliers in the brand

You will need:

• Ability to work well under pressure, take the lead, demonstrate that you can adapt to the fast pace and variety of FMCG supply chain
• Experienced in production planning within in a Food or FMCG background.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills
• Ability and willingness to communicate effectively at all levels and provide support in a range of activities and tasks
• Real strength in using MS Excel, with top-notch numeracy skills and attention to detail
• Ability to build strong relationships, getting things done and resolving issues across the business and with suppliers
• Passion and determination to succeed
• Proactive and driven attitude with a natural aptitude for problem solving (and able to think differently when finding solutions)
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Ability to think logically, especially when it’s really busy
• Demonstrable ability to live and breathe our values

And What You’ll Get In Return:

• Bucket loads of training and development, supporting your career pathway
• Competitive salary
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• A Box of Treats, including private medical, dental, pension, life assurance, 25 days holiday and the ability to buy more, high street discounts, amazing wellbeing events, Give It A Go days… to name but a few!
• A really awesome place to come to work … our beautiful Barns in the Oxfordshire countryside, but the flexibility to achieve a good work/life blend

Introduction

About Ella’s Kitchen

Part of the Hain Celestial Group family of brands, Ella's Kitchen’s mission is to help little ones grow up happy, healthy, and never hungry. Set up in 2006 by Ella's Dad Paul Lindley, the company prioritises health and nutritional value, but never at the expense of taste or convenience. Ella’s Kitchen strives to be good in every sense, offering healthy, handy, and fun food that doesn’t cost the earth. In 2016, Ella’s Kitchen certified as a B Corporation, a global movement of pioneering companies that are using their business as a force for good. By certifying as a B Corp, it reinforces that the business is meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

We are looking for someone brilliant who believes in our mission and can live and breathe our values of winning together, owning it, fostering inclusion and being curious.

At Ella’s Kitchen, we are guided by our values; they set the tone of our culture and we look out for newbies who will be a natural fit to our values and complement and contribute to our business.

About The Hain Celestial Group

Hain Celestial Group is a leading health and wellness company whose purpose is to inspire healthier living for people, communities and the planet through better-for-you brands. For more than 30 years, our portfolio of beloved brands has intentionally focused on delivering nutrition and well-being that positively impacts today and tomorrow. Headquartered in Hoboken, N.J., Hain Celestial’s products across snacks, baby/kids, beverages, meal preparation, and personal care, are marketed and sold in over 75 countries around the world. Our leading brands include Garden Veggie™ snacks, Terra® chips, Garden of Eatin’® snacks, Earth’s Best® and Ella’s Kitchen® baby and kids foods, Celestial Seasonings® teas, Joya® and Natumi® plant-based beverages, Greek Gods® yogurt, Cully & Sully®, Imagine® and New Covent Garden® soups, Yves® and Linda McCartney’s® (under license) meat-free, and Alba Botanica® natural sun care, among others.

Our Commitment To Equality, Diversity And Inclusion
At Ella’s Kitchen, we are committed to promoting and enabling a positive culture where everyone can be themselves and diversity of thought is welcomed.

We give a full and fair consideration to all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

If you need reasonable adjustments made to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can support you in the right way.

Location: Near Henley-on-Thames – you’ll be able to work flexibly between home and our lovely Barns (minimum of 2 days per week)

Reports to: Demand Manager (Makes Demand Plans)

Contract: Full time, Permanent (Monday – Friday 9am-5pm)

Purpose of role:

• To join the Demand Planning function (within Strategy + Planning) at Ella’s
• Become an expert user of our Exceedra Demand Planning system and user of SAP to manage the customer-SKU portfolio
• Lead conversations on future volume and sales forecasts for your accounts, making sure the number is always an accurate representation of our plans.
• Assist in business-level conversations on our demand plan, flagging when we are off track from our targets.
• Help guide the sales team through our monthly, quarterly and annual planning cycles.

Role activities / responsibilities:

Demand Planning (80%)

For your accounts (High Street, Around the World + Ireland, provisionally):

• Own the baseline forecast in Exceedra, ensuring a rolling horizon of 18-months is maintained.
• Hold monthly forecasting surgeries with National Account Managers (NAMs) to validate and jointly agree each customer forecasts, ensuring they are accurate with the latest information and insights.
• Create and issue monthly forecast variance and accuracy reporting to NAMs and offer root cause commentary
• Supporting NAMs with promotional planning for their accounts.
• Represent your accounts in monthly Demand Review meetings.
• Understand the underlying market-wide, and account specific trends that affect your customers.

More generally:

• Work closely with our Operations (Clockwork) and Sales (Deals) teams and the Demand Manager to drive improvement in forecasting activities
• Maintain relationships with retail partners and distributors where relevant
• Manage New Product Development (NPD) forecasts collaboratively with the Deals team. Ensure regular communication with the Clockwork team
• Manage the demand plan on a regular basis, communicating any changes, observations or issues to the Demand Manager and Clockwork team as required
• Manage and drive the product overstock/low life process with the Clockwork team

Systems Management (10%)

• Become an Exceedra systems expert and escalate issues that require support from the Exceedra client team.
• Management of Customer Master Data in SAP (product specific data is managed by Clockwork). This includes the day to day administration of SAP from a Deals perspective

Other Tasks / People (10%)

• Provide regular updates at the weekly ‘Making Plans’ team meeting
• Be an active member of the Making Plans team, helping to create a happy, fun and engaged team
• Demonstrate internally that you know your stuff – the numbers, the customer and the market
• Be a vital team member – don’t sit back! Get involved and share all the great stuff you know to help us all improve and grow
• Never be afraid to ask for help or to be curious about how we can do things better
• Embrace, embody + exude all that is special and unique about Ella’s Kitchen, including our values.

You will need:

• Excellent numeracy skills
• Be able to present complex data in a way that takes people with you on the journey
• Have awesome relationship building skills
• Proactive ‘do-er’, keen to be involved in the success of the team
• Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, fast paced environment
• A results focussed mindset with the ability to “never ever give up” and find solutions to challenges
• Strong project management skills and the tenacity to see projects through to the end
• Excellent MS office skills
• Passionate about systems with the ability to utilise technology for continuous improvement
• Demonstrable ability to live and breathe our values: Be Curious, Own It, Foster Inclusion, Win Together and Be Childlike.

Experience of the following would be advantageous:

• Working in a demand planning role
• Exceedra (or another Demand planning tool)
• Retailer relationships

And what you’ll get in return:

• Bucket loads of training and development, supporting your career pathway
• Competitive salary
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• A Box of Treats, including private medical, dental, pension, life assurance, 25 days holiday and the ability to buy more, high street discounts, amazing wellbeing events, Give It A Go days… to name but a few!
• A really awesome place to come to work … our beautiful Barns in the Oxfordshire countryside, but the flexibility to achieve a good work/life blend