Planners – Lichfield Distribution Centre

A customer's shopping journey doesn't end in store, and neither does our brand. Behind every great customer experience is a world-class supply chain and our new Lichfield Distribution Centre will play a vital role in ensuring products reach our customers when and where they need them.

This isn't a store. It's a fast-paced logistics operation where thousands of products will be received, processed and dispatched every day.

We are now recruiting permanent, full-time Planners. This role will translate network and customer requirements into accurate volume, capacity and workforce plans for Lichfield, helping Operations deliver inbound, fulfilment, despatch and storage activity efficiently, within budget and in line with customer expectations. The role will also provide forecasts and planning insight, engage site and network stakeholders, and support stock health so the operation is ready for changing demand.

These are full-time positions working an eight-hour, Monday-to-Friday schedule.

What you’ll do

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Translate daily, weekly and monthly network and customer requirements into cost-effective, customer-focused and colleague-engaging plans for Lichfield, supporting the management, communication and operational delivery of those plans.
• Work with site and network stakeholders to agree future volume strategies, maximise Lichfield capacity across inbound, pick, pack, despatch and storage, and provide early visibility of changes that may affect workforce plans.
• Use labour-planning insight and future capacity requirements to maintain the 52-week rolling workforce plan, including associated skills and training plans.
• Produce accurate inbound and demand forecasts, smoothing demand where appropriate to support cost-effective, customer-focused deployment of M&S and agency colleagues through WFM systems.
• Support stock health by using planning data and stakeholder engagement to identify obsolete, slow-moving and excess stock, and help ensure stock is held in the right location at the right time.

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include:

• Experience of, or a strong understanding of, a warehouse or logistics operation and how planning activity supports operational delivery.
• Confidence using Excel and Power BI to collate and analyse data from multiple sources, identify issues, develop practical solutions and explain findings clearly to non-technical colleagues.
• A detailed, accurate and methodical approach, with the ability to manage multiple requests and deliver to tight deadlines.
• The ability to remain calm, adapt plans and maintain accuracy when priorities or timescales change.
• Strong written, verbal and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with, engage and influence colleagues across different functions.

Please note that we will operate a random Drug & Alcohol Policy at Lichfield.

What’s in it for you?

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We’re inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing.

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:

• 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you’ve completed your probation
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more
• Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one
• Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal
• Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave
• 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you

Everyone’s welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re reinventing, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re redefining how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

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