Negotiable
Undetermined
Hybrid
Watford, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The Spare Parts Supply Chain Planner is responsible for ensuring the availability of spare parts throughout the product lifecycle, focusing on demand forecasting, MRP management, and supplier coordination. This role emphasizes sustainability and compliance while utilizing SAP and analytics to manage demand variability and drive improvements. The planner will also engage in risk management and support initiatives to reduce environmental impact and logistics costs. Success in this position is linked to effective communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Key Responsibilities:
- Prepare and maintain accurate forecasts for spare parts demand based on sales plans, historical usage, and lifecycle analysis.
- Adjust forecasts for exceptional demand and ensure adequate stock coverage while minimizing excess and obsolescence.
- Monitor Supply Chain risks and propose mitigation actions.
- Support initiatives to reduce environmental impact and logistics costs.
- Configure and maintain MRP settings in SAP and ensure accuracy of SAP master data.
- Decide transport mode based on demand urgency and cost optimization.
- Raise purchase orders and proactively identify alternative sourcing solutions.
- Monitor and address backorders, coordinating with logistics teams on delays and quality issues.
- Generate regular and ad-hoc reporting for management on stock levels and forecast accuracy.
- Act as a key contact for cross-functional teams, providing updates on availability and risks.
- Participate in improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
- Create and maintain SAP master data for spare parts.
Key Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Engineering, or related field.
- Supply Chain Professional Certification is an advantage.
- Proven experience in demand planning, inventory management, or supply chain operations.
- Technical product knowledge or experience in spare parts environments preferred.
- Strong knowledge of SAP MM and MRP functionality.
- Advanced Excel skills; Power BI or similar reporting tools a plus.
- Effective communication and strong analytical skills.
- Experience with supply chain risk management or supplier performance monitoring.
- Continuous improvement orientation, ideally exposure to Lean or Six Sigma methodologies.
- Problem-solving skills and ability to prioritize under pressure.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Watford
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
Your mission: The Spare Parts Supply Chain Planner ensures service continuity by managing spare parts availability throughout the product lifecycle. Key responsibilities include demand forecasting, MRP management, and supplier coordination to meet service levels while controlling costs. The role supports compliance, risk management, and ethical practices, using SAP and analytics to address demand variability and drive continuous improvement. Success is rooted in sustainability, governance, and professional development.
What will you do: Prepare and maintain accurate forecasts for spare parts demand related to existing and new product launches, based on sales plans, historical usage, and lifecycle analysis. Adjust forecasts for exceptional demand (spikes, product changes, or discontinuations). Ensure adequate stock coverage while minimizing excess and obsolescence. Monitor Supply Chain risks (Supplier and Lead Time reliability) and escalate or propose mitigation actions. Support initiatives to reduce environmental impact and logistics costs (e.g., optimizing transport modes, minimizing air freight, reducing scrap). Configure and maintain MRP (Material Requirements Planning) settings in SAP to reflect correct lead times, minimum stock levels, replenishment rules and lifecycle analysis. Ensuring accuracy of SAP master data through regular audits and corrections. Decide transport mode (air/sea) based on demand urgency, cost optimization, and part availability. Raise purchase orders for product spare parts and countermeasure orders in case of quality issues. Proactively identify alternative sourcing or supply solutions in shortage situations. Monitor and address backorders, coordinate with logistics teams on delays, scrapping, or quality issues. Coordinate with suppliers to manage sourcing, shortages, quality issues. Generate regular and ad-hoc reporting for management on stock levels, forecast accuracy, and backorder performance. Work effectively with internal stakeholders. Act as a key contact for cross-functional teams (Technical, Logistics, Service), providing proactive updates on availability, risks, and corrective actions. Participate in improvement initiatives (planning process, KPI tracking, reporting tools, automation) to enhance efficiency and accuracy. Create and maintain SAP master data for spare parts (new parts, replacements, depletion).
What we ask for: Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Engineering, or related field. Supply Chain Professional Certification is an advantage. Proven experience in demand planning, inventory management, or supply chain operations. Technical product knowledge or experience in spare parts environments preferred. Strong knowledge of SAP MM and MRP functionality. Advanced Excel (pivot tables, lookups, data analysis); Power BI or similar reporting tools a plus. Effective communicator Strong analytical, numerical, and problem-solving skills. Experience with supply chain risk management or supplier performance monitoring. Strong communication skills, able to explain planning decisions to non-technical audiences. Continuous improvement orientation, ideally exposure to Lean, Six Sigma, or similar process improvement methodologies. Problem solving, ability to prioritize under pressure while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
We are keen to hear from you even if you don’t match all listed requirements, but you identify with our brand and passion for innovation.
What we offer: Our benefits You will have access to a wide range of flexible benefits including a strong contributory pension plan, private healthcare, life cover, gym membership, an Employee Assistance Programme, employee discounts on Epson and Seiko products, and more. Epson also promotes hybrid working, with a minimum of 25 days holiday per year.
Our heritage We aspire to be an indispensable company, trusted throughout the world for our commitment to openness, customer satisfaction and sustainability. We respect individuality while promoting teamwork, and we are committed to delivering unique value through innovative and creative solutions.
Our commitment to the environment We all have a role to play in building a better future. For Epson, being a sustainable company means being mindful of every aspect of our organisation – from the smallest lightbulb to the largest factory. It fuels our innovation, drives our growth, motivates our workforce and, ultimately, to contribute to society.
Our people We believe a healthy culture, strong values, teamwork and contribution from a diverse range of individuals will help us to strive for excellence.
Our brand Ranked by Clarivate Analytics as a Top 100 Global Innovator brand for the last seven years Running. Epson is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all protected characteristics and are committed to providing any necessary accommodations during the application and assessment process, as well as upon joining our team. If you require additional assistance for your application or wheelchair access to our facilities, please email recruitment@epson.eu. A member of our team will be happy to assist you.