Assistant Demand Planning Manager

Job Location: Shanghai

Company description

Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in 55 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? Nearly 35,000 dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them. 

Diversity Statement

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.

About the Role:

The role is aimed to provide support in managing Ferrero Sales and Operation Planning processes (S&OP) and contribute to local regular demand planning processes, providing professional support to the company supply chain and commercial teams operations by using analytical, marketing plan, sales data and inventory level to effectively plan future demand forecast, future market inventory level control and execute effective demand planning.

Main Responsibilities:

• Develop effective forecast models based on market trends, sales progress and demand patterns
• Support internal stakeholders with demand data analysis, risk assessments and mitigation activities
• Perform necessary controlling activities in alignment with the Line Manager
• Manage the forecast with channel/Customer level
• Build reliable assumption about the forecast of STD, STT and DT inventory, clearly communication and make sure Sales/Marketing/T-MKT understand the forecast 
• Ensure sales team members fully understand the variance between Sales forecast and business target, organize and provide suggestion to achieve the target regarding to both business target and reality, with excellent business understanding.
• Cowork with Marketing and Trade Marketing team to ensure solid business understanding and market trend sensitivity, to adjust STD and STT Planning properly.
• Monitor and report on important changes in sales forecasts, vs budgets, and business strategies. 
• Monitor channel stock level, consider channel stock level in demand management.
• Manage weekly and monthly forecast uploading in system.
• Coordinate and drive monthly S&OP processes, including monthly demand review, portfolio review in line with Group S&OP guidelines and fit local business needs.
• Manage the weekly bottom-up sales forecast collection, aggregation and analysis
• Manage monthly distributors stock report reconciliation.
• Perform full communication with Region Sales, TMKT, Marketing, Sales Operation and SC to ensure the process and procedures keep in line with company’s strategy and guideline
• Work on the numbers accuracy and sustainability to ensure healthy business growth
• Provide constructive guidelines and processes enhancements based on the reports
• Drive for continuous improvement on demand planning related processes, KPIs, and planning digitalization.
• Manage the forecasting related system, such as APO, BPC, Power BI, Blue Yonder etc
• Participate and work effectively on cross-functional projects and initiatives, contributing with professional advice and knowledge
• Provide necessary information and inputs to ensure the processes enhancements

Who we are looking for:

• University degree in SC, Logistics and other related fields
• 3-5 years of relevant professional experience, strong knowledge on FMCG/Cosmetics operation and understanding of distributor model 
• Strong business planning skills and project management
• Good market knowledge of sales, field & merchandising processes
• Strong analytical skills, statistical and trend-reading ability
• Proactive, dynamic and responsible attitude, high result orientation
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• Fluency in English and Chinese, both written and spoken
• Advanced MS Office skills, SAP knowledge is of a strong plus
   

How to be successful in the role and at Ferrero:

Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world.