Head of Materials and Planning – Barnstaple

Engineered to Protect, that’s our promise, we protect what matters – our nations, our waters, our land, our cities, our people, our environment, our world. 

 

As Head of Materials and Planning you’ll lead the development and optimisation of manufacturing and operations planning team and processes. This role will be responsible for ensuring that project, service, and sales order demand are effectively incorporated into a unified planning framework. The successful candidate will have proven experience in updating and managing ERP systems (Access Supply Chain), driving process improvements, and building a robust planning function that supports operational excellence.

 

The Head of Materials and Planning can be based at any of our three sites, Barnstaple, Beckington, or Bristol. This role allows for flexible working with a minimal expectation of 3 days per week in Barnstaple for the initial period. 

 

The salary for this role is up to £75k, depending on experience.

 

• Planning & Process
  Development
• Design and implement improved
  planning processes for manufacturing and operations.
• Develop integrated demand
  planning models that incorporate project, service, and sales order
  requirements.
• Establish KPIs and reporting
  mechanisms to monitor planning performance and material availability.
• Team Creation and Management
• Assessing the current skills
  and abilities of the current team.
• Creating training requirements
  and plans.
• Filling gaps by recruitment or
  upskilling.
• ERP System Management
• Lead updates, configuration,
  and optimisation of the ERP system to support planning and materials
  management.
• Ensure accurate data input and
  reporting across projects, services, and sales orders.
• Materials Management
• Oversee material requirements
  planning (MRP) to ensure timely availability of resources.
• Collaborate with procurement
  and supply chain teams to align material flow with production schedules.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with Projects, Service,
  Operations, Engineering, and Finance to align planning activities.
• Act as the central point of
  contact for planning-related communication across departments.
• Continuous Improvement
• Identify inefficiencies and
  implement process improvements to enhance planning accuracy and
  operational performance.
• Drive initiatives to improve
  communication, transparency, and accountability in planning activities.

 

At SEA, we develop and deliver advanced solutions to make our world safer, cleaner and more efficient.  

We provide state-of-the-art applications for naval ship and fleet protection, and undersea surveillance systems. In-service across the globe, our systems deliver a rapid response to threats and system effectiveness and interoperation. Our systems support an ever-growing number of navies across the world, and we continue to bolster our already specialist, on-the-ground knowledge of key overseas markets. 

 

 

At our core, we encourage innovation, flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking to solve problems, so we’re always looking for talented, flexible, and creative people to bring their best to SEA. In return we offer generous rewards, a fantastic work/life balance, and excellent career and training opportunities for everyone who joins. Have a look at the benefits we offer:

 

• Proven track record in materials and planning management within a manufacturing or operations environment.
• Hands-on experience updating and optimising ERP systems (e.g. Access Supply Chain, SAP, Oracle, IFS, or similar).
• Strong background in demand planning across projects, services, and sales orders.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems and advanced Excel or data analysis tools.

Join us and be part of something smaller – with 500 people in the UK and Canada – doing something bigger: protecting what matters.

If you’d like to know more, please give Dave from our Talent Acquisition Team a call on 03330 414172. Or reach out to us on talentacquisition@sea.co.uk