Supply Chain apprentice

Pfizer Ltd.; Sandwich; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global biopharmaceutical company is seeking an Apprentice Demand Planner in Sandwich, England. The role focuses on supporting supply chain management through demand forecasting, inventory management, and collaboration with various departments. Candidates should be team players, fast learners, and capable of using digital tools effectively. The position requires commitment to learning and understanding compliance with Good Distribution Practices. This apprenticeship offers a blend of online and in-person training, leading to a Level 6 BSc qualification.

Benefits

Qualification support for Level 6 BSc

Blended learning opportunities

Exposure to a global firm

Qualifications

• Actively participate in a team environment supporting operational goals.
• Ability to learn new processes quickly and adapt to different challenges.
• Be self-motivated to work independently and complete tasks efficiently.

Responsibilities

• Support forecasting for demand and supply planning.
• Manage inventory levels and ensure supply chain continuity.
• Analyze inventory data and provide actionable insights.

Skills

Teamwork

Fast learner

Self-starter

Creative

Digitally literate

Good communicator

Confident decision-making

Education

Level 6 BSc (Hons) Professional Practice in Supply Chain Leadership

Tools

SAP

IBP

Job description

Job Description

Pfizer Global Supply Chain (GSC), part of the Global Supply organization (PGS), is a source of competitive advantage for Pfizer, driven by patient needs, and enabled through integrated, digitized, and autonomous platforms. PGS is on a mission to be the premier, innovative, biopharmaceutical global supply organization, delivering value. Our purpose is to supply high quality breakthrough products to patients that significantly improve their lives. Our objective, is to ensure continued strength of PGS’s value proposition, increase flexibility, build ability to adapt over time, and enhance capabilities to deliver recognized value and transform into a world class supply organization. Our aspiration is quality/compliance/safety, and we never compromise them as we work to achieve supply reliability. Ensuring quality of our products, compliance of our actions and operations and safety of our colleagues and communities always comes first!

Job Responsibilities

The Demand Planner function is the main point of interaction between all Pharma Business Units (BU’s) and the suppliers of their medicines through PGS and Pfizer GSC. It is instrumental in achieving the company’s objectives of compliance, service level to customers and inventory carrying costs.

The apprentice is directly responsible for:

• Leverage digital technologies to perform thorough data analysis to provide value to the business and support commercial strategies – visibility of accurate market inventory, sales and forecast information through the established replenishment systems and the tracking of all goods in-transit to ensure a timely delivery to market and accurate reflection within systems
• Product change management – ensuring critical regulatory changes to artworks are in production through Pfizer systems to meet with required implementation conditions in the market
• Supply assurance in collaboration with the Above Market Planning Hub and special project management, ensuring out of stock and short stock incidents are well managed, communicated and mitigated as much as possible
• Inventory planning – ensuring that financial reporting of inventory provisions is accurate
• Meeting targets and metrics set globally and analysing deviations
• Responsible for demand forecasting – planning and executing demand and supply strategies and tactics in partnership with commercial team
• Ensure compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) regulations, to maintain the quality of the products and integrity of the distribution chain

Key Accountabilities

1. Forecasting

• Support the local S&OP process for medium to large size markets with medium to advanced portfolio complexity with cross‑functional team participation to ensure mutual accountability, visibility and alignment on key decisions to ensure supply continuity
• Generate optimum demand forecast for assigned product portfolio using commercial insights over multiple time horizons
• Update the forecast as frequently as required within the month, with a deadline of each month end for submission to the manufacturing site. Utilize statistical forecast modelling to automate demand planning where possible in collaboration with the Above Market Forecasting teams
• Key user of the SAP IBP forecasting system
• Maintain regular contact with Key Stakeholders and contributors to the forecast, including Marketing, Commercial, European Trade Group, Supply Policy Team, Sales, Replenishment Centre and Customer Services. Travel to other Pfizer locations will be required
• Attend Tender Review meetings and review tender submissions and documentation in a timely manner. Coordinate with supplying plants to ensure ability to meet additional demands and increase forecasts as necessary. Highlight any barriers or delays
• Use sales history reports to pro‑actively address items with forecast error above GSC benchmark
• Perform a quarterly comparison of forecast against financial forecasts to understand and document significant differences. Partner with commercial and finance teams to align unit and financial forecasts and ensure clear rationalisation for gaps

Performance Measures

• Forecast Review meetings are held monthly, and minutes are recorded
• Maintain forecast error and forecast error bias to agreed targets for all BUs
• Analysis of forecasts to Finance forecast is recorded quarterly on the appropriate shared spreadsheet. Significant gaps between the forecasts have been investigated and understood and are also recorded on the spreadsheet

2. Supply Planning and Inventory Management

• Ensures visibility of accurate market inventory, sale and forecast information through the established replenishment systems (SAP, IBP and SupplyIQ)
• Monitors inventory levels. Follows up on delivery plans and product release, coordinating with Plants, Supply Points, market Qualified Persons, Replenishment Centre and Distribution
• Manages and communicates short supply situations to minimise service issues. Works closely with Customer Services and Replenishment teams to generate the best possible management plan to cover the shortage period
• Tracks expiry dating of plant/market inventory and defines actions to avoid obsolete inventory. Estimates the potential for possible obsolescence and coordinates appropriate financial provisions
• Coordinates implementation of critical artwork changes with supplying plants to maintain regulatory compliance. Plans and coordinates changes in packaging or re‑labeling of existing inventory in coordination with Regulatory Affairs, Artwork Officers, Marketing, Plants, Replenishment Centre and Distribution
• Prepares and disseminates weekly stock availability and other management reports such as short and dated stock

Performance Measures

• Interfaces are monitored and data integrity is maintained between SAP and edge systems
• Manage resolution of stock issues and coordination of shortfall processes, recorded in minutes of Shortfall weekly meeting
• Maintain national inventory level to agreed targets and service centre inventory in line with demand forecasts targets
• Short dated inventory report reviewed and updated monthly
• Ensure all UK artwork in pack is compliant and regulatory approved
• Stock reports are updated and issued weekly

3. Continuous Improvement

• Monitors performance through the established Global Supply Chain metrics and supports continuous improvement in those metrics and the data collection for those metrics (Forecast Error/Bias, Inventory $/MOH, write‑offs, statistical forecast adherence, etc.)
• Supports business change initiatives as appropriate

Performance Measure

• Monitor performance against key KPIs and identify areas for improvement
• Standard Operating Procedures are all current and reviewed according to schedule
• Relationships across the business are effectively built and maintained

Candidate Requirements

Skills

• Teamwork – you will be joining an established and experienced team, sharing information and supporting other team members will be key, as will not being afraid to speak up, ask difficult questions and politely challenge the status quo
• Fast learner – easily learning new concepts and ways of working in unfamiliar environments
• Self‑starter – able to gain independence with limited guidance
• Creative – has the ability to come up with novel ideas
• Digitally literate – comfortable with common digital communication tools/systems and quick to learn how to use new digital tools
• Good communicator – capable of interacting with stakeholders at different levels of seniority in a clear, concise, and specific manner
• Seizes accountability, acts decisively, self‑awareness, and peer relationships and teamwork
• Takes personal responsibility for getting things done and leads others by example
• Encourages others when times are tough and is willing to proactively support an idea or position
• Confident to make decisions in a timely manner, sometimes with incomplete information and under tight timelines. Ideally able to make good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis and experienced judgment
• Understands the impact of their interpersonal and managerial behaviour and quickly recognises when to use different styles
• Can represent own interests and yet be fair to other groups and can quickly find common ground and encourages collaboration to solve problems with peers. Is seen as a team player and easily gains trust and support of peers

Training To Be Delivered

• Qualification to be delivered: Level 6 BSc (Hons) Professional Practice in Supply Chain Leadership
• Apprenticeship Standard: Supply Chain leadership professional
• Training Provider: Supply Chain Academy
• Delivery model: This apprenticeship will be delivered in a blended mix of online and in person learning

Future Prospects

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will be eligible to apply for other positions within the business.

Things To Be Considered

The apprentice must be able to demonstrate the required attitudes, behaviours and interpersonal skills associated with the professional workplace. The apprentice must be willing to commit an amount of personal time to study. Please ensure you check out travel options to be able to commute to the workplace.

Location

Pfizer Ltd, Discovery Park House, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9NJ

Working Hours

Monday to Thursday, 9am – 5.25pm. Fridays, 9am – 4.05pm

12pm - 12.45pm lunch break

Duration

42 months

Start Date

1st September 2026

Interview Date

The assessment centre for this role will be held on 14th April 2026

Closing Date for Applications

20th March 2026

To Apply

To apply, please click the Apply Now button and complete the form. If you are having difficulty in completing this, please contact recruitment on [e-mail] for assistance

Next Steps

Successful candidates will be progressed to a one way video interview, invites will be sent via email.

The video interview will be reviewed by the Hiring Manager

About Pfizer

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time.

EEO Statement

We welcome, respect and value a diverse workforce and are fully committed to complying with equal opportunity and diversity policies. (Include EEO policy statement here if required.)