Associate Manager Demand Planner - South East Asia

Work Setup: Hybrid (twice a week RTO)

Location: Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines

Summary:

The Demand Planning Assistant Manager is accountable to provide focus and integration of data from Marketing, Sales, Customer Marketing, and Finance, which are used to develop accurate and timely forecasts supporting Operations, Sales, and Financial Planning. Responsible for understanding and reinforcing manufacturing, marketing, and financial processes to link with forecasting process. Reviews total item level forecasts to ensure alignment with business plans and consistency with market trends. Communicates forecast deviations and challenges assumptions. Works closely with the Supply Planning Team to identify and resolve exceptional changes in the forecasts and ensures supply availability. Ensures that all agreements from Consensus Meetings are incorporated into the final forecasts. Drives results in collaboration with Customer Supply Chain Assistant Manager to ensure all logistics issues that might impact forecasts are captured during Consensus Meeting.

The Demand Planning Assistant Manager will also establish and manage item level statistical forecasts for their specific area of accountability. Gather and incorporate all sources of market intelligence pertaining to this customer base to produce the best possible operational forecasts. 

The Demand Planning Assistant Manager will update and monitor process KPIs and diagnostics to ensure continual forecast improvement efforts and will prepare written documentation, specifications, reports, or other data of a quality requiring minimal review by a Manager. As defined by the company’s Integrated Business Management (IBM) process, the Demand Planning Assistant Manager will facilitate a collaborative and consensus approach by working closely with Marketing, Sales, Customer Marketing, and Supply Planning. Provides process improvement in order to efficiently manage, update, and maintain system business forecasts.  

In case the Demand Planning Assistant Manager is assigned to specific markets / countries, brand, or category,  he / she will focus only on it with certain customer base, developing customer level forecasts, incorporating market and sales trends, inventory targets, and service level agreements.

This position is essential to the achievement of key business sales and operational objectives. 

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

Monthly Consensus & IBM (35%)

Facilitates monthly consensus forecasts in Integrated Business Managements (IBM) Meetings and incorporate learnings to improve forecasting process. Partner and collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance departments to develop and approve reliable demand forecasts of all line items falling in accountable segment of the business. Ensure consistency of forecast assumptions across customer base, including targeted Strategic Customers, base business trends, merchandising promotional plans, new item volumes, plan-o-gram changes and seasonal volume. Partner with Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance departments to develop and approve aligned demand forecasts for product segment, while reducing working capital, and minimizing forecast variability. 

Ensures appropriate forecasting processes and methods are being followed and updated as needed. Maintain forecast system data integrity. Perform ad hoc analyses as required, in support of contingency planning.

Forecasting (25%)

Develops and maintains rolling 12-18 months operational forecast by item by distribution center in SAP APO DP systems for customer base. Use Statistical forecast for longer horizon forecasting period. As the Commercial / Supply Interface, individual will provide teams with timely analysis, guidance, information, and decision-making to ensure that the Supply Chain is in the best position to execute the demand plan, generated from the total operational forecast. Focus on reliability of demand plan for new items, based on market analysis of distribution builds and velocity expectations.

Analyzes historical sales data and future plans while working cross-functionally to achieve continuous improvement in the reliability of demand forecasts. Using projected demand plans, work towards continuous improvement of forecast accuracy and improve overall demand plan. Complete post-promotion evaluation for each promotion or major event.

SC KPIs (20%)

Maintain accountability for all Supply Chain focused metrics, particularly on materials obsolescence, improved Case Fill, on-time delivery.

Demand Planning Assistant Manager with Customer base responsibility will also maintain accountability for specific Customer focused metrics, including WMAPE, Customer Case Fill, OTD and Customer inventory levels. Generate and publish to key stakeholders the monthly  demand forecasts, including clear identification of assumptions, highlighting significant changes from previous forecasts.

Analyzes historical sales trend and incorporate knowledge of future sales and marketing activities.
Run periodic statistical forecast to perform sanity check on by SKU forecast from Business Units. Works cross functionally toward continuous improvement of forecast accuracy and improve the error rate below targeted levels of Weighted Mean Absolute Percentage Error (WMAPE).

Inventory Management (10%)

Do optimal setting of inventory in distributor’s warehouse to support  distributors in developing Shipment plans that translates to Gross Sales forecast. Contribute in driving improvement projects with Distributors in areas of Forecasting, Supply Planning and Inventory) . The teams will include (but not be limited to) seasonal teams and new product launch teams. He / She will provide representation for the entire team to ensure assumption alignment across all customer channels on crucial business initiatives.

Subject Matter Expert (10%)

Demand Planning Assistant Manager will perform other related tasks as may be required to participate in special projects or initiatives, providing leadership as needed on cross-functional teams, provides support to Business units for all Demand and Supply planning related improvement initiatives (for e.g. In-Country Sales run rates/Forecast and Inventory information from distributors to do sanity check of  SAP-APO Statistical Forecast. 

Minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsibilities:  

•    Demonstrated skill in advanced supply chain planning tools is required (SAP-APO, Manugistics, etc.)
•    Strong knowledge of SAP and SAP APO Demand Planning (or similar ERP or advanced planning systems)
•    Strong skills with PCs, Windows operating system, Microsoft Office Suite, and ERP Systems
•    Exposure to S&OP and other internal and external collaborative processes
•    Understanding of sales and marketing organization and functions
•    Experience working cross-functionally at an operational level, with demonstrable evidence of significant influencing of peer group and above, and strong examples of relationship building
•    Knowledge of supply chain management concepts and Supply Planning
•    Strong analytical, written and verbal communication, interpersonal, negotiation and problem solving skills, with an attention to accuracy and detail
•    Strong knowledge of statistical modeling techniques
•    Ability to understand and explain mathematical concepts
•    Ability to work independently and prioritize
•    Willingness to learn and search for creative solutions
•    Understanding of consumer research and insight methodology is a plus

Competencies:

Business Acumen. In depth understanding of FMCG industry

Drive for Results. Pushes self and others to exceed goals and achieve breakthrough results. Recognizes the key actions necessary to achieve results; establishes and communicates the priorities to others; and maintains own and others focus on achieving the important goals. Demonstrates persistence in overcoming roadblocks to achieving results and encourages others to do the same.

Interpersonal Relations. The role involves working with Production plants, Business Unit Managers and Customer Development Managers across the region. Working with commercial partners and distributors will involve ability to interact with the parties where interests could conflict with one another. Clear communication and external focused mindset are essential to be successful in this role.

Influencing Others. The ability to lead and persuade others, Works to find common ground and mutually beneficial solutions to conflicts. Uses diplomacy and tact to draw the consensus from multiple parties

Process Management. Key player in Ordering, Shipping, and Billing process with distributors, GBS, and production plants

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Business administration, Industrial Engineering, Management Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or a quantitative business science preferred, but not a MUST

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of work experience in Logistics or/and Supply planning or/and Production. International trade logistics experience is a plus
• have at least 3 years of experience in Logistics or/and Supply Planning or/and Production (strong preference with Supply Planning)
• Combination of at least 2 of the ff: Supply Planning + either Production Planning OR Demand Planning OR Logistics 
• Knowledgeable in SAP or other Supply Chain Planning tools
• Must have any big ERP System and Advanced Excel Skills  
• Knowlegeable in facilitating IBM Meetings
• Strong knowledge on the IBM cycle
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Ability to work on a high pressure and detail oriented
• Someone from a FMCG company (products with shelf life) is highly preferred

#LI-AG1