"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
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
Some of the roles that we specialise in recruiting include:
Buying & Procurement
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Consultancy Recruitment Specialists for FMCG, Supply Chain & Strategy
Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence
Demand Planning
Digitalisation and Industry 4.0
Engineering and Automation
General Management and Operations Director
Health, Safety and Environmental Management
Logistics and Customer Services
Production and Operations Management
Supply Chain Director
Supply Chain Management
Trusted by leading companies
Director
Chester-born Chris, has an unrivalled network of commercial candidates within the consumer goods industry. In addition to this, he has worked with many of the UK’s leading consumer brands and also with SME manufacturers from around the globe. Having started his career in 2002, Chris brings a wealth of experience to the team at Lime Talent.
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FAQ Section
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes. We regularly place interim Demand Planners and Planning Leads during periods of system implementation, rapid growth, international expansion or operational restructuring.
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