Planning & Operations Specialist

It leads demand, supply, inventory and replenishment planning processes to optimise service levels, working capital and supply chain performance across the region. The role drives the execution and continuous improvement of the S&OP process, providing visibility, transparency and actionable insights for business decision-making. It collaborates closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Customer Service, Distribution Partners and international planning teams to ensure medium- and long-term operational viability, manage planning risks and opportunities, and lead product innovation from an operations perspective to support on-time launches and a healthy, competitive regional product portfolio.

• Lead demand, supply, inventory and replenishment planning processes to optimise service levels, working capital and supply chain performance across the region, ensuring the right product is available at the right place and time to support commercial objectives
• And build a robust planning function that supports continuous improvement, identifies risks and opportunities to the operating plan and financial framework, delivers innovation projects for digitalisation and efficiency, reports and supports forecast accuracy targets
• And manages planning risks and opportunities for a resilient supply chain.
• Drive execution and continuous improvement of the S&OP process, providing visibility, transparency and actionable insights for business decision-making, and lead the monthly S&OP process to improve customer service through CANS and visibility item availability
• Proper inventory levels and disruption avoidance.
• Analyse historical sales data, trends, base growth, distribution and market share to create and analyse statistical forecasts, determine the Operations Demand Plan, and challenge and align it with the Sales Demand Plan.
• Collaborate with Sales to review past performance, conduct root cause analyses of forecast error and inconsistencies, challenge the latest sales demand plan by comparing underlying assumptions with the Operations Demand Plan, and work with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Customer Service
• Distribution Partners and international planning teams to ensure medium- and long-term operational viability, using innovation, advanced data management and a strong attitude to support and influence stakeholders.
• Align with Sales, Finance and Operations on the consensus Demand Plan during the monthly S&OP process, update and adjust planning tools accordingly, and ensure quality and consistency of information.
• Generate, share and upload the monthly local Supply Plan to official tools as input for the Global S&OP process, and implement and drive the S&OP process with main Distribution Partners to ensure the right supply of products.
• Provide insights to the OPS Manager for fact-based portfolio management and an annual SKU portfolio review cycle based on complexity and cost, and lead the NPD process from an Ops perspective to ensure on-time launches, proper phase-in/phase-out, system creation and document management.
• Maintain accuracy of Material Master Data in all planning tools, manage transitions of new and phasing-out SKUs, and support local teams in constructing demand plans for new and phasing-out products.
• Ensure inventory consistency and competitive inventory levels at Distribution Partners, manage free goods and goods destroyed plans, manage scenario planning, follow up on order placement, establish inventory levels, perform DOH control, avoid overstocks and out-of-stocks
• Ensure healthy aged product, alert the Operations Manager to risks and provide risk reduction plans.
• Ensure timely and effective distribution of finished goods across the international network, supported by Customer Service, to fulfil DP orders in line with supply requirements, lead solution finding and execution for demand and supply imbalances
• And ensure stakeholder visibility of supply availability and disruption risks for timely decisions.

• Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Supply Chain, Business Administration or related field.
• Demonstrated 3+ years of experience working in areas of Demand & Supply Planning and Sales forecasting.
• Comprehensive knowledge of retail accounts operations, forecasting technology, systems, market research data and supply chain management.
• Strong capabilities in data management in Excel (mandatory).
• Excellent communication skills, including presenting and ability to develop relationships with other areas of the business, particularly the Sales, Finance and Marketing teams.
• Proven ability to conduct complex, quantitative and statistical analyses complemented with qualitative inputs from multiple sources to draw conclusions and make recommendations.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and lead teams.
• Advanced MS Office skills, especially Excel.
• Fluent English skills.

• Knowledge of the import process.
• Experience with data management tools such as Power BI, Power tools, SQL, Python and AI-assisted data management.
• Knowledge and experience in SAP – ERP and planning tools.