Forecaster jobs
It’s one thing to keep on top of all the activities a business has carried out – there’s a paper trail to create very precise reports - but it’s quite another to gauge events in the future. However, knowing as much as possible about the future financial direction of a company is just as important, and if it’s done well, it can allow spending and investment decisions to be made with confidence. It can even allow a company to steal a march on the competition.
The forecaster in a supply chain operation will be in charge of gathering as much data as possible to create accurate predictions of the direction of the company’s activities. This will be through a combination of internal factors, such as sales targets, staffing and investments and external factors such as government policy, infrastructural projects and general economic outlook.
The data will then be used to create forecasts which can be employed by the planning team to guide the company’s future direction. Of course, no plan survives first contact with the enemy, and forecasts may need to be constantly refined as more and more information becomes available. However the forecaster’s reputation will be determined by the accuracy and precision of his or her work.
The skills required
Analysis will be at the heart of the forecaster’s daily work. Knowing which data are relevant and applying them to the calculations in line with the event being forecasted will be key to his or her success. Some forecasters will have a team of data analysts, each with their own sectors, to help with the task, while others will be required to source the data themselves. Ongoing monitoring will be an important part of the job, too. All forecasting is really the abstraction of past and present data to seek out trends and patterns, so when these change, so will the forecasts. It is important that mechanisms are set in place to alert the forecaster to key events which will affect the predictions.
Most of the work will be done at the desk using various IT solutions from web browsers, databases and spreadsheets to gather data to forecasting software or spreadsheets to perform the projection calculations. Good IT skills will therefore be required.
Finally, as the predictions are worthless if they are not presented properly, interpersonal and communication skills will be the final element of the forecaster’s makeup.
Forecaster Jobs in Great Yarmouth
The Norfolk town of Great Yarmouth is almost the UK’s most eastern place, pipped to the post by a few metres by Lowestoft 8 miles (13 km) to the south. Norwich, Norfolk’s county town, is 18 miles (30 km) to the west. Great Yarmouth has a well earned reputation for being a holiday resort, and it is one of the most popular in the UK. However its hinterland is actually rather industrialised, and is heavily involved with the gas and oil rig industries. Just offshore there is a large wind farm, with 30 turbines harvesting the North Sea breezes.
Like several towns on the North Sea, Great Yarmouth was unfortunate enough to be bombed in both world wars, by Zeppelins, the German navy and the Luftwaffe. Both times the town rebuild to carry on its tourism industries in peacetime. Great Yarmouth has managed to retain its tourism industry where many others have failed, perhaps because it is a diverse town as far as industry is concerned, and the locals use the same amenities as the tourists. Whatever the reason, its 50,000 population, made up of a mix of families and retirees, is reasonably affluent and the town is steadily growing.
The oil rig plant and the gas industry themselves can be great indicators that Forecaster work could become available in Great Yarmouth, but the town’s population and its attractiveness to tourists also create an environment where the town has complex logistical needs to be met. With Norwich nearby, opportunities could arise just down the road, too.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s supply chain opportunities
Applicants approach Cast UK for many reasons, whether seeking more job fulfilment or simply relocating for personal reasons, so it’s good to know that we always have the complete range of positions available nationwide. Please see what’s available in your region and if you’ve seen something you’re interested in, do get in touch – whether it’s today or tomorrow, we might have the ideal position for you.
Cast UK’s founder members and consultants all come from the logistics, procurement and supply chain sectors, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for in their staff and careers respectively. Cast UK is growing in this part of the UK recruitment industry, mainly because these are the only sectors we deal with, which means that many employers come to us first to create a candidate shortlist because they know we’re tightly focused on delivering the best people to them.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Forecaster for your business or find you a job as a Forecaster then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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