SUMMARY:
Cape Town - Commercial Demand Planner / S&OP Demand Planner
POSITION INFO:
Are you a commercially minded Demand Planner who enjoys turning data, market intelligence and business insight into smarter decisions? My client is searching for an experienced Commercial Demand Planner \/ S&OP Demand Planner to join a dynamic, internationally connected organisation within the FMCG \/ beauty and consumer products environment. This is an opportunity to take ownership of demand forecasting for an exciting portfolio of brands, working at the intersection of Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing and Finance. You will play a key role in the S&OP process, helping the business anticipate demand, identify risks and opportunities, and ensure the right products are available at the right time. You will be responsible for developing and maintaining accurate 12-18 month rolling demand forecasts, combining historical data and analytical insight with commercial intelligence from Sales, Marketing, Finance, customers and distributors. You will act as a key Supply Chain partner to the commercial organisation, providing the insights needed to support better business decisions and drive forecast accuracy. You will be required to use your experience, skills and expertise to: Develop and maintain 12-18 month rolling demand forecasts across an assigned portfolio of brands\/products. Analyse historical sales, trends, deviations and market dynamics to continuously improve forecast accuracy. Gather and incorporate market intelligence from Sales, Marketing, Finance, distributors and customers. Consolidate forecasts and reconcile variances against financial budgets, providing clear explanations and insights. Identify and communicate business risks, opportunities and demand changes through the S&OP cycle. Manage short-term demand opportunities and forecast increases based on commercial intelligence. Participate actively in the monthly S&OP process, ensuring alignment between commercial and supply-chain requirements. Work closely with Customer Service teams to ensure orders are processed and fulfilled timeously. Partner with regional\/global Planning teams to review short- and medium-term supply risks and opportunities. Provide meaningful analysis and recommendations to support business performance and improve forecast quality. Build strong relationships across a diverse, cross-functional and international stakeholder group. . You will ideally have the following to offer: 3+ years' experience in Demand Planning, Supply Planning or S&OP. Experience within FMCG, consumer products, beauty, personal care or a related industry. Strong exposure to S&OP \/ Sales & Operations Planning. Experience working with sales forecasts and commercial stakeholders. An understanding of forecasting methodologies, trends and forecast accuracy measures. Exposure to working with distributors or an importer\/distributor business model would be advantageous. Experience working within a multinational or internationally connected organisation would be beneficial. Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel. Excellent analytical, organisational and problem-solving abilities. Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills. We're looking for someone who is: Commercially curious - you want to understand why demand is changing, not simply report the numbers. Analytical - you enjoy working with data, identifying trends and turning analysis into meaningful business insights. Collaborative - you can confidently engage with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Customer Service and Supply Chain stakeholders. Proactive - you identify risks and opportunities before they become problems. Organised - you can manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Strategic yet hands-on - you're comfortable working with the detail while keeping sight of the bigger commercial picture. This is more than a traditional forecasting role. You will have genuine exposure to commercial decision-making, S&OP and international supply-chain planning, while working with a portfolio of well-known consumer brands.
