Planning Assistant- Demand Planning

**DIVISION**:Supply Chain

**DEPARTMENT**:Planning

**EMPLOYMENT TYPE**: Permanent

**PURPOSE**
- Play a crucial role in supporting the demand planning team to ensure accurate forecasts and optimal inventory levels are maintained while meeting customer demands.
- Assist in analysing historical sales data, market trends, and customer forecasts to accurately predict future demand for products.
- Additionally, you will collaborate with cross functional departments such as sales, marketing, finance, and supply planning to develop effective demand forecasts and inventory strategies.

**KEY ACCOUNTABILITES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Assist Demand Planners with generating accurate demand forecasts for products based on analysis and input from relevant stakeholders.
- Monitor and evaluate forecast accuracy and identify root causes for performance where needed.
- Collaborate with the demand planning team to develop short-term and long-term demand forecasts.
- Support demand planners in collaborating with cross functional teams including sales, marketing, finance, supply planners, other relevant stakeholders, and suppliers locally and internationally.
- Maintain and ensure master data integrity and accurate forecasts across SAP, IBP, and relevant systems.
- SPOC for Master Data Management
- Generating Purchase Orders and liaising with suppliers
- Sharing monthly rolling forecasts with suppliers
- Liasing with Finance to resolve queries of Financial Master data.
- Tracking of Deviations/Changes impacting planning
- Support analysis, and reporting for S&OP Process, specifically Demand reviews.
- Providing monthly commentary on forecast errors and demand movements
- Coordinate discussions with commercial and supply planning team to proactively manage risk and opportunities relating to demand.
- Support order execution and management (as required) in response to demand movements in conjunction with supply planners / suppliers / commercial.
- Provide front end feedback to the supply planner/suppliers on latest demand movements.
- Close collaboration with Supply planners/ suppliers to maintain Days of Forward Cover (DOFC)) / Safety Stock and optimise inventory levels.
- Support PMO and Commercial with New Product Launches & relaunches to ensure stock availability for on time launches while maintaining optimal inventory.
- Support demand and supply planning and Analytics teams with projects; and process and system improvements and optimisation.
- Ad hoc requirements relating to SCM Planning

**EDUCATION QUALIFICATION**
- Relevant qualification Bachelor’s degree/ Advanced Diploma in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Business Economics, Logistics or related field preferred

**RELEVANT SKILLS & WORK EXPERIENCE**:

- 3+ years of demand planning and/or supply planning, supply chain analytics
- A solid understanding of S&OP process and understanding of -demand, and supply planning.
- Experience in Demand Planning including replenishment forecasting is required.
- Previous experience in data analytics is a plus.
- Experience in the Pharmaceutical/FMCG industries is advantageous.
- Good working knowledge with ERP systems (SAP), Integrated Business Planning (IBP), and BI systems
- Computer skills on MS Office (Advanced Excel Skills) is required.
- Project management skills preferred.
- Effective planning, organising, co-ordinating and prioritising.
- Independent and self-directed individual that can drive execution.
- Great cross-functional collaborator with strong influential and interpersonal skills

**JOB LOCATION**

HEAD OFFICE - (Cape Town)

**EE REQUIREMENT**

Cipla is an Employment Equity employer and this position will be filled based on our Employment Equity Plan.