Global Head of Demand Planning

For a quarter of a century, the Jellycat family have brought joy, wonder and playful fun to people of all ages, in every part of the world. Utterly original and in a class of their own, they are currently among the most loved and collected toys of their kind. How has this gentle tribe endeared themselves to so many? Perhaps it is their whimsical expressions. Or the deliciously soft fabrics. Or the beautiful way in which they sit in your hand. Whatever it is, there is something magical and unmistakeable about each one of them.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated individual to join our team as the Global Head of Demand Planning. This crucial role involves leading a team of demand planners, both at our head office and regional offices. This role requires a strategic leader with strong cross-functional influence, capable of driving process improvement, managing senior stakeholders, and building structure and clarity in a growing, fast-paced environment. In this role, you will take full ownership of accurate demand planning at the SKU level whilst ensuring optimal inventory levels and forecast accuracy, and delivering a rolling 24-month forecast that aligns with approved business strategy.

You'll be;

• Leading the Demand Review process by developing and maintaining accurate demand forecasts with the support of your demand planners, challenging sales forecast assumptions across all channels, communicating supply constraints, and ensuring launch activities are timed and resourced effectively in line with marketing and product objectives.
• Supporting sales forecast development by combining historical data, market trends, seasonality, and product plans to align with shipment plans and business requirements, and improving forecasting accuracy.
• Managing and influencing cross-functional collaboration, working with sales (cross-channel), marketing and product, finance, supply and operations teams to ensure all functions meet shared company objectives.
• Working hand-in-hand with Supply Planning to plan intake in line with factory capacity constraints, investigate supply performance gaps, evaluate production constraints and address them in demand forecast planning.
• Monitoring and reporting on stock health to optimise stock availability and minimise excess stock, and drive corrective actions where needed.
• Supporting allocation and replenishment strategies to maximise sell-through and minimise excess inventory, whilst ensuring adherence to global cover targets.
• Leading S&OP collaboration by aligning forecasts with sales, marketing, finance, and logistics in regular S&OP meetings, ensuring demand plans support strategic goals.
• Leading a team of demand planners, managing demand alignment across sales channels and regions whilst consistently improving the development and capabilities of the team.
• Generating reports and dashboards to provide insights to the wider business and track KPIs that guide commercial decisions such as forecast accuracy, availability, cover.
• Driving efficiency and accuracy in demand planning processes by continuous improvement and risk management.

You'll have;

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role with accountability for strategic demand planning, cross-functional delivery, and stakeholder management.
• Proven experience in demand planning or supply chain management.
• The ability to work in an agile environment that is fast paced and continuously evolving.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with experience preparing and presenting performance insights and recommendations to leadership.
• Experience with leading S&OP processes and inventory optimisation techniques.
• Experience in setting up and scaling processes and team structures in a growing or evolving business.
• Excellent project management capabilities, with a track record of leading complex projects and embedding sustainable change.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively manage and collaborate with diverse teams.
• Proactive, solution-focused, and resilient, with a mindset of continuous improvement.
• Proficiency in forecasting tools.