Demand Planner at Seven Up Bottling Company

Main Purpose of Job

• The Demand Planner will be responsible for driving forecasting activities across the business product portfolio at the customer level.
• This role involves creating and maintaining accurate forecasts, analyzing market data, tracking sales performance, and ensuring optimal product availability.
• The Demand Planner will collaborate with various stakeholders to enhance forecast accuracy and support the overall sales and marketing strategies.

Main Responsibilities
Demand Forecasting:

• Develop monthly statistical forecasts for a 6-month horizon at the customer and pack format level.
• Translate qualitative sales discussions into actionable quantitative data to impact baseline forecasts.
• Analyze and incorporate marketing and trade information into baseline forecasts.
• Aggregate customer-level forecasts to budget center forecasts and break them down by SKU with relevant product mix.
• Capture and assess the impact of new product development activities on the baseline forecast.
• Review and validate forecasts across different sales levels within the region.
• Submit forecasts to HQ within set deadlines, ensuring accurate data capture and assumptions.

Sales Business Operations, Analysis, and Tracking:

• Track customer performance against forecasted pack formats.
• Conduct customer trend and change analysis.
• Identify customers not meeting growth targets and escalate to relevant stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain inventory standards to ensure optimal product availability at customer locations.
• Conduct quarterly customer business health-check analysis, measuring key variables such as average daily stock, the split of business between TDI & Cash Route, average daily vehicle on the establishment, and customer P&L.
• Collaborate closely with the supply planning team to ensure timely product availability.
• Monitor order fulfillment rate by the customer to enhance customer satisfaction.
• Provide daily sales operations reports to relevant stakeholders.
• Track and manage forecast accuracy and bias, implementing necessary adjustments.
• Conduct gap analysis and develop mitigation plans aligned with the regional sales team.

Trade Insight and Analysis:

• Establish and update the market universe on a monthly basis.
• Conduct market visits to collect data on distribution, weighted distribution, and share of shelf.
• Engage with customers to identify gaps and communicate them to relevant channels for resolution.

Selection Criteria (Qualifications, Experience & Knowledge) Essential

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in General Management or General Sciences (BSc/HND).
• 2-4 years of relevant experience in demand planning or a similar role.
• High proficiency in Excel and other analytical tools.
• Understanding of the financial impact of decisions.
• Ability to build and leverage relationships to improve results.
• Open-mindedness and willingness to experiment with new improvement initiatives.

Desired:

• Good understanding and application of Power BI.
• Knowledge of bottling operations.

Key Competencies / Skills: Generic:

• Strong interpersonal skills to manage resources and operations at multiple levels.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Assertiveness.
• Teamwork.

Functional:

• Advanced Excel skills.
• High numeracy and analytical skills.