Group Supply Chain Analyst - Belfast

Group Supply Chain Analyst jobs

Any business needs to constantly be on the lookout for inefficiencies and better ways to do things in the future, but in supply chain the costs of inefficiency can be massive. Unnecessary transportation, warehousing and waste can add millions to the costs of a large company or group, but the danger is that such costs can go unnoticed or can be relics of old ways of doing things that were never updated.

The group supply chain analyst will be in charge of gathering and using data within a business group and looking for areas where savings can be made, whilst all the time remaining alert to potential impacts on customer satisfaction. Chasing down inefficiencies in a supply chain can sometimes feel like squeezing air out of an inflatable bed – squeezing here can make a bulge there – so the analyst will have to be mindful that they are dealing with a whole system, not just a series of parts. If might sometimes be beneficial to leave superficial inefficiencies in place if they benefit the entire chain.

Often, the group supply chain analyst will not have executive powers and will be part of a team of analysts, perhaps working under a materials, planning and logistics (M, P & L) manager. In such cases the analyst will need to be focused on improving and maintaining service in a small section of the chain while those senior to him or her make the business decisions.

Group Supply Chain Analyst Jobs in Belfast

As Northern Ireland's capital and largest city, Belfast offers a number of opportunities for those seeking Group Supply Chain Analyst positions.

The region was first settled during the Bronze Age and had become a thriving community by the 17th century.

During the Industrial Revolution, Belfast was known for producing a broad range of goods, including linen, rope and tobacco.

Meanwhile, its proximity to two large bodies of water - Belfast Lough and the River Lagan - made the city an ideal location for shipbuilding.

Over a period of 150 years, Harland and Wolff - once one of the city's most famous shipbuilders and currently fabricating equipment for the marine, offshore and renewable energy sectors - constructed numerous vessels. These included luxury liners like the Titanic, Olympic and Britannic, as well as the HMS Belfast, a Royal Navy light cruiser that is now permanently moored on the River Thames in central London.

Following the First World War, Belfast's economy began to slowly decline and by the 1960s and 1970s, the city's situation gradually deteriorated as civil unrest of the period known as The Troubles created a fragile financial situation and a community riddled with violence.

However, since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Belfast has once again emerged as a city with a viable economy and there has been rapid redevelopment.

These days, Belfast is a centre for education and commerce and companies based here include Allstate NI, Moy Park, Bombardier Aerospace and Translink - Northern Ireland's main provider of public transport.