Inventory & SIOP Manager (Manufacturing)

About the role

Armstrong Fluid Technology, a global leader in fluid-flow technology with over 1,400 employees across eight manufacturing facilities, is looking for an experienced and proactive SIOP & Inventory Manager for its Manchester manufacturing site. Reporting to the Plant Manager, the role leads inventory control and ensures efficient management of raw materials, components, work-in-progress and finished goods to support production schedules, customer deliveries and business objectives. It works closely with Procurement, Production Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics and Sales.

Key responsibilities

• Manage inventory levels for raw materials, components, consumables, WIP and finished products, keeping optimum levels and minimising excess stock and working capital.
• Develop and run inventory optimisation plans to improve accuracy, increase stock turns and remove legacy and non-moving items.
• Lead the monthly SIOP cycle (demand, supply and inventory reviews, executive meetings) and build integrated demand, supply, production and inventory plans.
• Analyse demand trends, capacity constraints and supply risks, prepare executive dashboards and reports, and drive continuous improvement of forecasting and planning.
• Work with Production Planning to secure material availability, coordinate replenishment and monitor supplier performance and lead times.
• Improve inventory accuracy, warehouse efficiency and material flow, and support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required profile

• Minimum 3-5 years' experience in inventory management in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience in a SIOP/S&OP process and managing inventory across raw materials, WIP and finished goods.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, organisational skills and stakeholder management across departments.

Required skills

• ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor or NetSuite.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel for analysing and presenting inventory and forecasting data.
• Desirable: pump, rotating equipment, HVAC or industrial manufacturing experience; Lean, Kanban, 5S or ISO 9001 knowledge; CIPS or equivalent qualification.