Job Description

About the job

The goal of the position is to improve the supply chain service & performance for Industrial Accounts, Regional Accounts and/or Distributors & Artisans by being a key partner in the S&OP cross-functional process in Chocolate Benelux & Nordics. The demand planner will manage, capture and translate the demand signal into desired supply & service requirements in close collaboration with local & regional commercial, R&D, Finance and OSCO stakeholders. You will increase visibility and communication and ultimately improve service levels at the lowest cost. Externally you will build a profound understanding of the customer’ need and help drive collaboration and intimacy with key customers.

Key responsibilities include

• Lead the demand planning process for Benelux & Nordics on Industrial Accounts and/or Regional Accounts and/or Distributors & Artisans.
• Take overall responsibility for the demand plan figures within the Demand Planning system, ensuring they are representative of the S&OP latest cycle consensus plan (constrain the forecast when needed)
  • Cooperate closely with sales in order to understand and reflect the latest business dynamics into the final forecast
  • Be commercial’s main challenger when making sure forecasts reflect the most realistic demand outlook
  • Reconcile top-down, bottom-up demand and gain consensus on new forecast assumptions
  • Intensively work with business partners (Commercial & Financial analysts) on risks and opportunities, communicate them appropriately to SC counterparts (provide context beyond the numbers)
  • Team up with the GBS demand planning team:

• Give guidance on how and where to enrich the forecast according to the latest forecast review discussions with sales
• Discuss and understand what is needed to improve forecast accuracy and forecast bias + translate into action plan

• • Keep track of gaps with budgets and be able to explain
  • Own the full local forecast construction process while making sure the monthly forecast cycle deadlines are met:

• Take the lead in the forecast validation with the Benelux & Nordics managing director
• Handover the local forecast and relevant information towards regional demand planning for the regional sign-off

• • Work closely together with Finance on the YTG/YEF, budgeting and MTP process
• Coordinate phase in phase out for key innovation and product launches
• Collaborate with global supply chain organization on the consolidation of supply risks and early warnings for any supply disruption + communicate proactively to the sales community
• Contribute in reaching the right inventory health (incl. obsolescence) via active monitoring of stocks at risk and by setting up action plans with local commercial stakeholders
• Lead & manage the portfolio health assessment and optimization for your portfolio
• Act as a key contributor to the Value Creation Program identified for key/strategic customers (focus on improving service jointly, avoid cost/create shared value and bring visibility on ESG initiatives. This will require a close collaboration both internally and externally including frequent customer visits / organizing workshops.

About you

• Degree in business administration, supply chain or related field
• English, Dutch fluent

• +5 years experience in integrated supply chain and ideally planning, managing a portfolio with high product and channel complexity
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP, OMP, BW reporting, PowerBi) is a plus
• Good knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint

• Able to work in virtual teams and cross-functional teams. Ability to balance day-to-day detail with long term helicopter view.
• Strong networking, stakeholder and influencing skills
• Positive communicator, easily approachable for all levels in the organization, confident to work with senior leadership
• Solid analytical skills with ability to dig into raw data and interpret them to larger audiences
• Self-starter, entrepreneurial and able to manage complex analytical projects
• Positive and agile mindset, looking for continuous improvement and embrace change.
• Methodical and well organized
• Strong commercial acumen