Demand Planning

DEMAND PLANNING RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS

Are you seeking skilled professionals for Demand Planning roles in the FMCG sector? Lime Talent is your trusted recruitment partner, specialising in delivering top-quality candidates adept in demand forecasting, inventory management, and supply chain optimization. Based in Wimbledon, London, we offer expert guidance in FMCG recruitment for Demand Planning positions across the UK and internationally.

Finding the ideal candidate for demand planning positions can be a challenging  task for many organisations. These roles are integral to the success of operations within the FMCG industry, making it imperative to collaborate with a trusted FMCG recruitment specialist. At Lime Talent, we are committed to guiding you through the process seamlessly. Whether you’re seeking an experienced Demand Planning Manager or a skilled new team member to support operations, our team is dedicated to securing the best possible candidate for your demand planning roles.

Why Use Us?

Established in 2013, we’ve excelled in sourcing top talent for a wide range of roles within the Demand Planning spectrum for both blue-chip organisations and innovative challenger brands in the FMCG industry. Our team comprises dedicated FMCG recruitment specialists, ensuring that your partnership with us involves close collaboration with experts who deeply understand your brief.

You can see some of our clients below

Within Demand Planning we cover the following sub categories:

Food & Drink

Alcoholic Drinks

Health, Beauty & Personal Care

Consumer Products

Direct to Consumer & Subscription

What our clients say

  • “Lime Talent are responsive, flexible, honest and therefore very easy to work with. When I need support for trickier roles, then Lime are my first port of call and I always recommend them as they strike a good balance of challenge/blue chip from their network.”

    UK Country Manager | Tony’s Chocolonely

  • “Lime Talent have been a fantastic partner to me as I’ve built out the UK & Europe team for Who Gives a Crap. Their ability to get a quick understanding of our business, the needs I had for the roles and the calibre of Lime’s candidate pool has been invaluable. It’s allowed us to move quickly to build out a team from scratch, hiring roles across a range of functions including commercial, marketing, strategy & insights. I simply wouldn’t have been able to do this without Lime’s support & expertise!”

    MD UK & Europe | Who gives a crap

  • “Lime Talent have remained our trusted partners for the last 5 years. Most of our hires have come through Lime with the team clearly identifying the talent that have made the business successful so far. The candidates we receive are incredibly well filtered and we know before we meet them, that they will have the requisite calibre to succeed.”

    Managing Director | Itsu

  • “Lime Talent demonstrate a high degree of honesty and openness about the risks and considerations of placing specific people and you are continually assured they take a long-term approach to working with Ferrero. Highly recommended.”

    Customer Development Director | Ferrero

  • “Lime Talent made the process as easy as possible by providing well-screened candidates along with regular updates. They also provided clear guidance on the recruitment landscape that helped us position our role as attractive to candidates with the relevant skill set.”

    Marketing Manager | Windmill Organics

  • “Lime did a good job for us and I’ve enjoyed working with them on roles. Moved quickly and have been communicative, understanding our requirements on limited information.”

    CEO | Hackney Gelato

  • “The best recruitment business I’ve worked with. Highly recommended.”

    Founder | Holy Moly

DIRECTOR

Paul Jackson is co-founder of Lime Talent. He started his career in 2004 and has extensive experience placing senior Supply Chain, Buying, Technical and NPD candidates with some of the world’s leading consumer goods brands and exciting high growth startups.

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    Client Portfolio

    • Tony's Chocolonely
      Track Record
      We started working with Tony’s in 2018 to assist with their UK launch securing them:
      - UKI Head of Marketing
      - UK Head of Sales
      - UK Operations & Finance Manager
      Feedback
      “I used Lime Talent in the very early days of our UK launch with the team helping me hire my (now) UK leadership team who are all still with us since 2018. "
      Feedback
      "Lime Talent are responsive, flexible, honest and therefore very easy to work with. When I need support for trickier roles, then Lime are my first port of call and I always recommend them as they strike a good balance of challenge/blue chip from their network.” UK Country Manager
    • Danone
      Track Record
      Preferred supplier for roles within commercial and supply chain functions
    • who gives a crap
      Track Record
      Helping to build their EU team with roles including:
      - EU Head of Consumer
      - EU Head of Commercial
      - As well as various other roles
      Feedback
      “Lime Talent have been a fantastic partner to me as I've built out the UK & Europe team for Who Gives a Crap. Their ability to get a quick understanding of our business, the needs I had for the roles and the calibre of Lime's candidate pool has been invaluable. "
      Feedback
      "It's allowed us to move quickly to build out a team from scratch, hiring roles across a range of functions including commercial, marketing, strategy & insights. I simply wouldn't have been able to do this without Lime's support & expertise!" MD UK & Europe
    • L'Oreal
      Track Record
      Various projects from Manager to Director level within functions such as
      - eCommerce
      - Market Intelligence
      - Revenue Growth
      - Category Strategy
      - Business & Data analysis

    FAQ Section

    What does a Demand Planner do in an FMCG or consumer goods business?

    A Demand Planner is responsible for forecasting product sales to ensure optimal stock availability while minimising excess inventory and working capital exposure. In FMCG and consumer goods businesses, Demand Planners typically manage statistical forecasting, promotional uplifts, seasonality modelling and alignment with commercial account plans.

    They play a central role in connecting sales, marketing, supply chain and finance through structured S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) processes.

    Why is Demand Planning critical in FMCG businesses?

    In consumer goods, inaccurate forecasting can result in retailer service level penalties, stock write-offs, lost sales and margin erosion. As businesses scale across multiple retailers and channels, forecasting complexity increases significantly.

    Effective Demand Planning protects availability, improves working capital efficiency and provides leadership teams with greater visibility over future revenue and operational requirements.

    What salary does a Demand Planning professional earn in the UK FMCG sector?

    Typical UK salary ranges are:

    • Demand Planner: £40,000–£60,000 + bonus
    • Senior Demand Planner: £55,000–£75,000 + bonus
    • Head of Demand Planning / Planning Lead: £80,000–£110,000 + bonus

    Compensation varies depending on forecasting complexity, SKU volume, international scope, ERP systems exposure and S&OP maturity. To provide an accurate market benchmark, it’s important to understand the specific remit, reporting structure and scale of the supply chain operation.

    Lime Talent also provides tailored FMCG salary benchmarking support to help businesses structure competitive and operationally aligned reward packages.

    What skills and experience do FMCG businesses look for in Demand Planners?

    Employers typically look for:

    • Strong forecasting and statistical modelling capability
    • Experience managing promotional uplifts and retailer demand signals
    • Ownership of S&OP or IBP processes
    • Data literacy across ERP and planning systems (SAP, Oracle, Anaplan, FuturMaster, etc.)
    • Understanding of working capital, inventory optimisation and service level metrics
    • Cross-functional communication skills across commercial and operations teams

    At more senior levels, leadership of planning teams and process optimisation experience become increasingly important.

    When should a growing consumer brand hire its first dedicated Demand Planner?

    Common triggers include:

    • Expansion into multiple national retailers
    • Increasing SKU count and promotional complexity
    • Rising stock holding or service level penalties
    • International distribution growth
    • Preparation for structured investor reporting

    As revenue grows, relying solely on sales-led forecasting becomes high risk. Structured Demand Planning improves predictability, operational efficiency and margin protection.

    How does Demand Planning structure evolve as a business scales?

    In early-stage brands, forecasting may sit within sales or supply chain functions. As volume and retailer complexity increase, dedicated Demand Planners are introduced to improve accuracy and governance.

    In larger or investor-backed businesses, this typically develops into structured S&OP or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) frameworks, often led by a Head of Planning overseeing demand, supply and inventory alignment.

    How do Lime Talent recruit Demand Planning professionals?

    Lime Talent specialises in FMCG and consumer brand recruitment across supply chain and operations. Our approach includes targeted market mapping, technical capability assessment and salary benchmarking to ensure candidates have both forecasting expertise and strong cross-functional influence.

    We focus on identifying planners who can operate effectively within high-growth, multi-channel consumer businesses.

    Why do growth-stage and investor-backed brands prioritise strong Demand Planning hires?

    As consumer brands scale, working capital and service level performance become increasingly visible to investors and board-level stakeholders. Forecast accuracy directly impacts cash flow, operational resilience and profitability.

    Appointing experienced Demand Planning professionals provides structure, reduces volatility and supports sustainable growth.

    How long does it take to hire a Demand Planning professional?

    Most searches take 4–8 weeks depending on system specialism, category complexity and seniority. Leadership-level planning hires may require a longer process to ensure strong operational and cultural alignment.

    Can Lime Talent support interim Demand Planning hires?

    Yes. We regularly place interim Demand Planners and Planning Leads during periods of system implementation, rapid growth, international expansion or operational restructuring.

    What types of FMCG businesses do you support with Demand Planning recruitment?

    We work with:

    • VC and PE-backed consumer brands
    • Founder-led scale-ups
    • Mid-size FMCG organisations
    • International brands expanding into the UK

    Global consumer goods businesses