Demand Planning Manager – Americas

The demand planner will be accountable for forecasting and demand planning for Americas BU for all products in range (coffee, consumables, machines). Reporting into the Head of Supply Chain – Americas ,this role has no direct report, will work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and is accountable to add value to the demand planning process, deliver great service and minimize cost throughout the supply chain.

Key activities:

S&OP process support towards one set of numbers across the BU

• Create, review and submit a validated long term demand plan (vended product and bought product) initially in Excel, then in Anaplan/SAP for all products in range to all required deadlines, hitting agreed forecast accuracy and bias (TBD)
• Implement Anaplan* (our DP system) statistical forecasting module and the planning cycle.
• Responsible for maintaining accurately and on time Anaplan master data (statistical forecast…)
• Validate forecast within Anaplan to enable the execution of the company ABP/latest revised forecast/LRP.
• Forecast new product launches as quickly and accurately as possible in order to mitigate risk.
• Work with Commercial operational teams to understand how new placements, new products and campaigns impact demand and adjust plans by reacting to ever changing data and insight.
• Work with Marketing and Commercialization teams on new initiatives and trials in order to give insight on volumes and risks associated
• Feedback during the S&OP process the validated demand plans highlighting any supply risks e.g. NPD/delist, supply constraints, residual and obsolete stock… and action any outcomes.

Establish effective working relationships with key stakeholders internally and externally

• Work with Supply Planning to provide visibility for products on longer lead times in order to secure sufficient production capacity and mitigate supply risk, and also to define stock inventory policy.
• Work in collaboration with various key internal stakeholders including Supply Planning, Customer Service and Export Manager, Commercialization, Marketing, Commercial Operational Teams, Finance functions… on ad-hoc requests and routine reports
• Work with Supply Planning and Central Procurement to implement hedging strategies to ensure supply continuity and mitigate risks.

Reporting & supply chain optimization initiatives

• Create, maintain and review reporting e.g. actual sales vs. forecast on a daily basis to support the decision making across key stakeholders
• Analyze performance of various KPIs (forecast accuracy and bias, root causes of inaccurate forecasting, Nbr of NPDs launch/delist…) and provide narrative for historic review and learnings.
• Perform forward looking  analysis and work with the Supply Planning team to identify and take action on volatile demand and supply concerns. Flagging risks in the short and longer term which could impact product availability to our partners, residual and obsolete stock write off costs, storage challenges and subsequent potential impacts working capital.
• Support a continuous improvement approach e.g. work with the Global Supply Chain team in optimizing the process and ways of working with Anaplan/SAP and S&OP process / support and new project operationally

*subject to selection following discovery phase

Continual Improvement Process; organization; Procurement Procedures; Budget Management; Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP); Microsoft Office; Group Problem Solving; Discovery; Communication; Buyer Representation; Compliance; Supplier Relationship Management; Low Cost Country Sourcing; Negotiation; Supplier Financial Analysis; Economic Cost Drivers