Job Title:  Material Planner

Function: Supply Chain

Location: Bottling Plant, South Lumley Street, Grangemouth

Job Level: (Internal Reference Only) 4

Contract: Full Time / Permanent - 35 Hours per week Monday to Friday - Hybrid

Role Reports to: Spirit, Materials & Supply Chain Manager

Date vacancy will close: 23rd August 2026. Where we receive high numbers of applications we may close vacancies early.  If you think this is the right opportunity for you please don't delay in applying!

Who we are:

Born in Glasgow, made in Scotland and enjoyed around the world. Whyte and Mackay is home to a collection of multi-award-winning global whisky brands led by The Dalmore, Fettercairn, Jura and Tamnavulin. Our mission is to be a driving force in whisky, renowned for building brands that stand-out.  Enabled by our brilliant community of 675 colleagues, reaching across 17 countries and counting.  We're led by our values, continuing to grow and invest and looking for great talent to join our brilliant community.  Ready to hear more?

What the opportunity looks like:

The Material Planner is responsible for the 4 to 12 week material planning horizon, with primary focus on dry materials availability at SLS and EDC, inventory performance and clear planning decisions.

The role uses demand signals, supplier commitments, system alerts and inventory insight to protect production continuity, manage material risks early and convert risk visibility into appropriate expedite, de-expedite, redeployment, mitigation or escalation actions.

Leads material planning reporting and KPI insight for SLS and EDC dry materials, including the monthly Material Risk pack for Procurement.

The role will also implement and lead improved planning processes and ways of working, including RIRO and Finished Goods status management, where these will strengthen inventory control, availability and decision making.

Forward visibility and risk management

• Own and continuously improve the 4 to 12 week material planning horizon, converting forward visibility into timely decisions and controlled actions.

• Lead supplier engagement within the 12 week window to align supply commitments to demand, challenge constraints and escalate risks early to protect production continuity.

• Identify, assess and escalate supply risks, constraints and scenario impacts, with clear recommended actions across expedite, de-expedite, redeployment, mitigation and escalation routes.

Inventory and working capital management

• Own planning visibility, governance and control of dry materials held on site at SLS and EDC, balancing service, lead time and working capital.

• Lead the identification, root-cause analysis and delivery of planning actions to reduce Inventory, SLOB, aged stock and new obsolescence creation.

• Provide Procurement with clear inventory insight, risk analysis and recommended actions to support supplier follow-up and commercial decision making.

KPI ownership, reporting and risk insight

• Own and actively manage material planning KPIs including Days of Supply, SLOB, aged materials, MRA, supplier OTIF and material status governance.

• Own the monthly Material Risk pack for SLS and EDC dry materials, delivering clear analysis and agreed follow-through actions with Procurement.

• Translate data-led insight into clear risk statements, mitigation plans and escalations that protect service, cost and working capital.

Planning Governance, RIRO and Status Management

• Design, implement and embed improved ways of working for NPI RIRO and Dry Goods status management, ensuring these processes strengthen inventory control, availability and decision making.

• Govern Dry Goods status visibility, ensuring blockers, risks and required actions are clear, current and owned by the appropriate stakeholders.

• Act as SO99 key user for Material planning, governing planning parameters, item attributes and system inputs to ensure data is accurate, current and fit for planning decision making.

• Lead SO99 issue resolution and continuous improvement activity, working with Data, Supply Chain and operational stakeholders to improve system use, data quality and planning outputs.

• Drive continuous improvement across planning processes, tools and reporting to improve service, inventory performance, waste reduction and decision quality.

Planning governance and cross-functional engagement

• Represent material planning in Supply Review and S&OP, providing availability, inventory and risk insight that supports business decisions.

• Lead cross-functional resolution of material planning risks with Supply Planning, Production Scheduling, Procurement, Data, NPI and Operations.

Production Continuity & Material Availability at Bottling Partners (CVH)

• Secure dry goods against approved production plans and proactively manage material risks to minimise downtime, last-minute expediting and W/O disruption.

• Lead material availability alignment with bottling partners, ensuring shortages, excesses, variances and corrective actions are visible, owned and closed.

• Govern FG inventory visibility at bottling partners, ensuring stock accuracy, exception management and alignment with central planning decisions.

• Own the weekly stock snapshot process, ensuring shortages, excess stock, variances and corrective actions are identified, governed and followed through to closure.

Skills and experience that will help you be a success:

For this role we're looking for:

• Strong material planning, supply planning or production planning knowledge, preferably in a manufacturing, FMCG or drinks environment.

• Good understanding of inventory management, working capital, Days of Supply, SLOB, aged stock, obsolescence prevention and material availability risk.

• Ability to interpret demand, supplier commitments, lead times, MOQ constraints and system alerts, and convert them into clear planning decisions.

• Experience using ERP or planning systems, with SO99+, Tropos or similar systems beneficial.

• Confident analytical capability, including root-cause analysis, trend review, KPI interpretation and clear reporting for decision makers.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to challenge constructively, influence cross-functional decisions and escalate risks clearly.

• Good governance mindset, with attention to data quality, process control, auditability and ownership of agreed actions.

We believe that everyone has the potential for growth in our roles!  You may feel you don't tick every box for this role, but if you believe you have relevant experiences that could help you succeed we'd much rather you apply rather than rule yourself out based on any self-limiting beliefs!  

Why join us:

We offer a competitive salary, bonus package, life assurance, competitive pension, excellent product allowance, 35 days annual leave, plus enhanced family friendly policies. Our Rewards & Benefits page has further information.

Our application process:

If you like what you’ve read and want to explore this opportunity further, please apply before the closing date listed at the top of the advert.  

Our team read each and every application, therefore you'll hear back from us in due course.

Candidate guidance on the use of AI in the application and screening process can be found on our career site.

Should you require any adjustments to our recruitment process to help you be at your best then please contact us at HRTeam@whyteandmackay.com and we'll do what we can to support.