Planning Department Manager

Position: Planning Department Manager

Job Summary
The Planning Development Manager is responsible for managing demand planning, supply planning, inventory management, and the S&OP process to ensure product availability, improve forecast accuracy, optimize inventory levels, and support business growth. This role works closely with Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Procurement, Import, Supply Chain, and OEM suppliers to align business demand with supply capability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Demand Planning

• Develop and manage demand forecasts in collaboration with Sales, Marketing, and Product Development teams.
• Analyze sales trends, promotions, seasonality, and market movements to improve forecast accuracy.
• Monitor and analyze forecast accuracy, and develop action plans for continuous improvement.

2. Supply Planning

• Develop supply plans aligned with demand forecasts and OEM production capacity.
• Plan finished goods purchasing and coordinate closely with Procurement and Import teams.
• Manage supplier lead time and capacity to ensure product availability according to business plans.

3. Inventory Management

• Manage inventory levels in accordance with company policies.
• Maintain inventory coverage targets: 3 weeks cover for existing SKUs and 5 weeks cover for NPD products.
• Reduce overstock, out-of-stock, slow-moving, and near-expiry inventory.
• Analyze and define appropriate safety stock levels to support business requirements.

4. S&OP Process

• Lead and manage the company's Sales and Operations Planning process.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Procurement, and Supply Chain teams.
• Prepare dashboards, reports, and key insights to support management decision-making.

5. Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor planning and inventory KPIs to ensure business targets are achieved.
• Analyze root causes of planning and inventory issues, and drive process improvement initiatives.
• Develop planning systems, tools, and dashboards to support business expansion and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Supply Chain, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or related fields.
• At least 5 years of experience in Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Inventory Planning, or related functions.
• Experience in FMCG, Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, or related industries.
• Experience in forecast management, inventory planning, and new product launch planning.
• Strong knowledge of Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Inventory Management, S&OP, and Forecast Planning.
• Strong analytical skills with advanced Excel proficiency.
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably SAP, and dashboard tools such as Power BI is an advantage.
• Good understanding of forecast accuracy, service level, safety stock, inventory weeks cover, shelf-life products, supplier lead time, OEM planning, and import planning.