SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
Oversee Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Production Scheduling, and Material Planning for the entire South Africa operations (factory + 3P manufacturing). Develop and maintain an integrated S&OP process, ensuring alignment between Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations. Translate the business demand into executable production and procurement plans considering capacity, material constraints, and lead times. Drive cross-functional coordination to balance service levels, cost efficiency, and inventory health. Lead monthly Demand Review with sales and marketing teams to finalize the rolling forecast. Drive forecast accuracy improvement initiatives by channel (Retail, Wholesale, Export).Identify forecast bias, seasonal trends, and market intelligence to enhance predictability. Present consolidated planning outlook to senior management during S&OP Executive Review. Convert demand forecasts into optimized supply and production plans, ensuring full utilization of plant capacity and 3P capability. Manage production sequencing and constraint planning to achieve optimal throughput and minimal changeover losses. Monitor daily and weekly plan adherence, highlighting deviations and implementing corrective actions. Coordinate with Quality and Engineering for readiness and preventive maintenance planning. Ensure timely availability of Raw & Packaging Materials (RM\/PM) by managing purchase requisitions and supplier call-offs. Collaborate with procurement and import teams for shipment scheduling, MOQ management, and supplier OTIF tracking. Maintain visibility on inbound shipments, customs clearances, and local deliveries to prevent production delays. Optimize FG, RM, and PM inventory levels to balance working capital and service targets. Regularly monitor SLOB (Slow Moving & Obsolete) inventory and implement reduction plans (donations, liquidations, repacks). Maintain governance on days of coverage (DOC) and inventory turns across all categories. Own all planning and inventory dashboards – service level, plan adherence, forecast accuracy, and inventory KPIs. Utilize SAP (PP\/MM), Excel, Power Query, and Power BI to generate automated planning reports.Implement data-driven insights for performance tracking and scenario planning (e.g., what-if capacity analysis). Drive digitalization and process automation initiatives within planning. Lead, coach, and develop the planning team to build a culture of accountability, accuracy, and ownership. Act as a central liaison between Sales, Procurement, Production, Logistics, and Finance. Represent the South Africa supply chain team in regional\/global planning forums and reviews. Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or Operations Management Minimum 8–12 years of experience in end-to-end supply chain or planning within FMCG \/ Consumer Goods \/ Manufacturing. Strong command of SAP (PP\/MM), MRP, and Advanced Excel\/Power BI. Proven experience in S&OP leadership, capacity planning, and cross-functional stakeholder management. Exposure to import\/export logistics and regional supply coordination is advantageous. If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks, we regret that you have been unsuccesful
