Business Planning Specialist

Overview

The role of Business Planning Specialist in the industrial/manufacturing sector involves supporting the sales department by creating and analysing strategic business plans. This temporary role is based in Warwick and requires a detail-oriented professional with strong Microsoft Excel skills capable of delivering insights to drive business success.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate documentation and records related to business planning activities.
• Prepare weekly Landing Point (LP) and Sales Planning in coordination with the LSCM team to ensure customer delivery reliability and enable performance management toward company targets.
• Ensure monthly input to Central Demand Planning to secure demand signal quality and support accurate supply planning. Coordinate alignment across pricing strategy, marketing, logistics & supply chain (LSCM) and Go-To-Market (GTM) plans.
• Identify gaps in performance and convert insights into concrete action plans to support sales target achievement with Sales Directors.
• Monitor sales performance, identify deviations from plan, and conduct root-cause analyses to initiate corrective actions.
• Coordinate preparation of Sales Performance Business Reviews and Executive Review meetings, and handle ad-hoc requests from VPs and local Sales Directors in alignment with HQ guidelines.
• Consolidate market performance results and trends, highlighting key drivers, risks and opportunities.
• Ensure alignment of all business performance materials with HQ templates and standards.
• Contribute to financial simulations and what-if scenarios in alignment with HQ demand planning, Business Planning and Sales teams.
• Coordinate the preparation and maintenance of the field sales budget in alignment with HQ guidelines and the local Sales team, underpinning the Sales Incentive Plan (SIP).
• Coordinate and manage customer targets with the local organization to support performance goals, following HQ policies and coordinating with Pricing team.
• Promote engagement with local Sales teams through kick-off meetings and alignment sessions with key customers.
• Contribute to sales enablement and execution by maintaining close contact with Sales teams, providing operational tools and presentations to activate and support the Sales force.
• Ensure regional coordination and integrate local market insight into overall GTM plans to ensure customer centricity and market needs.
• Collaborate with Sales Leaders, Finance, Marketing and LSCM to ensure aligned assumptions, realistic targets and timely information flow.
• Support coordination between Consumer and Commercial planning activities to ensure continuity, standardization and mutual backup.
• Contribute to simplification and standardization of planning and reporting processes in line with HQ guidance.
• Support automation and digitalization initiatives to improve forecasting accuracy and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including data analysis, forecasting, reporting and presenting insights.
• Experience in sales planning, business planning, commercial analysis or sales operations.
• Proven ability to produce accurate sales forecasts, budgets and performance reports.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify performance gaps and recommend actions.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams including Sales, Finance, Marketing and Supply Chain.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with confidence presenting to senior management.
• Proactive, commercially minded, with the ability to turn data into actionable recommendations.

Benefits / Offer

• Competitive annual salary between £45,000 and £50,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Temporary role offering flexibility and industry experience in Warwick.
• Free parking on site.
• Hybrid working: 3 days in the office and 2 from home.
• Opportunities to contribute within a large industrial/manufacturing organization.
• Engaging and collaborative work environment.

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