Demand Planning Manager at Guinness Nigeria Plc

Job Title: Demand Planning Manager
AutoReqId: 43020BR
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Reports To: Sales & Operations Planning (S & OP) Manager

Context/Scope:

• The Demand Planning position is responsible for all forecasting activities for Guinness Nigeria and Diageo Brands Nigeria associated with customers and products.
• The Demand Planner creates and maintains forecast models for Guinness Nigeria and Diageo Brands Nigeria customers, incorporating business intelligence and forecast information gathered from sales, marketing, finance, sales operation, and other sources (i.e.: Nielsen or other syndicated consumer data).
• The Demand Planner is the integration point into the sales and marketing organizations. Basic forecast modeling is the responsibility of this position. This position leads the dialogue each month for their respective customers and products with key counterparts in Sales, Customer Marketing and Marketing.

Dimensions:
a) Financial
This role manages the demand planning process to guarantee delivering of overall business performance

b) Market Complexity
The Alcoholic beverage industry is highly competitive with 3 key players and constantly expanding with low end entrants. Spirits consumption is expected to fuel more growth within the industry.

c) Leadership /Functional Capabilities
i. Ability to work with and gain alignment from relevant decision makers (Demand Community), embrace change and take ownership.
ii. Demonstrate strong interpersonal skill to build amazing relationship
iii. Demonstrate strong analytical skill and logical approach to decision making
iv. Communicate clearly & use information to influence decision making.
v. Demonstrate good presentation skill with excellent skill in Microsoft offices (especially in excel and PowerPoint)

Purpose of Role

• To ensure that the best possible short, medium and long term forecast of demand for all Guinness Nigeria Plc & Diageo Brands Nigeria products are available at all times
• Work with customer marketing, marketing and sales team by providing and maintaining very robust informed and statistically based forecast of forward demand for Guinness Nigeria Plc & Diageo Brands Nigeria
• Manage monthly demand planning process with proper documentation of assumptions, identified risk and business opportunities for Guinness Nigeria Plc & Diageo Brands Nigeria

Key Accountabilities

• Developing baseline statistical forecast using demand planning system
• Supporting the Sales & Operations Planning (S & OP) Manager to embed Sales and operations planning in the market.
• Maintain demand planning system and software(-Enter & modify data and ensure correctness of product hierarchy,-Monitor trends in forecast error)
• Providing detailed analysis of forecast trend and accuracy to guide the gap management process
• Conducting root cause analysis and corrective action planning to understand sales forecast accuracy &Bias
• Ensure effective Marketing & Evaluation (M&E) analysis of the assumption and input used to develop activity forecast

Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required
Graduate calibre in the Sciences, Social Sciences or other relevant field.

• A Master’s degree in business is an added advantage
• 5 years Supply Chain planning experience with a proven track record including demand, minimum 2 years Supply Chain experience in an FMCG
• Previous experience of Advanced Planner & Optimiser (APO) & SAP Enterprise Central Components (ECC’s) is preferred
• Prior experience in similar planning roles preferred (Demand Planning, Production planning, Commercial/Sales Planning etc.)
• Strong understanding of core Demand Management process and understanding of forecasting heuristics
• Good knowledge of the end to end supply chain and the impacts of the demand signal

Barriers to Success in Role

• Inability to employ analytical skills to contemporary problems.
• Inability to influence broadly across all internal (across levels) and external stakeholders to achieve expected objectives

Working options
Lagos Based with some local travel between distribution centres