Demand Planning Lead

Company Description

We are a global specialty and branded pharmaceutical company, improving the health of patients across the world through our high quality and affordable medicines. Active at every stage of the value chain, we are uniquely diversi?ed by geography, product and manufacturing capability.

Aspen is a dynamic organisation built on entrepreneurial strength and forward-thinking minds. We attract high performing individuals who are passionate about their career and have a desire to exceed expectations. At aspen, not only do we source for the best talent but we also provide a host of opportunities for continuous development.

The Group’s key business segments are Manufacturing and Commercial Pharmaceuticals comprising Regional Brands and Sterile Focus Brands. We have approximately 9 100 employees at 69 established offices in over 50 countries and we improve the health of patients in more than 150 countries through our high quality, affordable medicines.

**MAIN DUTIES**:
**Strategy Delivery**
- Develop and Implement demand management and inventory holding strategy with Business unit head
- Contribute to Marketing strategy sessions and translate outcome into future planning actions

**Monthly IBP Cycle**
- Implementation of IBP in accordance with latest business requirements
- Facilitate monthly demand reviews
- Consolidate and ensure sound understanding of Volume, Value & Assumption movement
- Consolidate and quantify future Opportunity & Risks
- Drive Gap closing actions and drive decision making on key demand drivers impacting future forecasts
- Drive demand shaping actions/decisions using existing excess inventories
- Responsible for coordination & total aggregation of Demand Review for the respective portfolio

**Monthly Operations - Statistical/Baseline Forecasting**
- Ensure historical data is relevant and reviewed to enable the use of statistical forecasting
- Manage market demand through monthly forecasting meetings in collaboration with Marketing
- Drive the use of statistical forecasting to derive baseline demand
- Make adjustments to statistical forecasts based on market intelligence and insights on future drivers of demand

**Monthly Operations - Consensus Forecasting**
- Continuously collaborate with Marketing to ensure forecasts are based on sound assumptions
- Engage with Marketing & Sales to unpack risks and opportunities and gap closing initiatives
- Collaborate with Marketing & Sales to unpack latest demand drivers and events and agreed on necessary changes in forecast & assumptions
- Conduct necessary analytics where required to support decision making on forecast

**Monthly Operations - Replenishment Forecast**
- Lead a monthly review of the supply plan highlighting supply risks and potential excess stock risks
- Drive effective communication with suppliers to mitigate the supply and excess stock risks
- Collaborate with Marketing and Supply to optimize stock holding to achieve service and inventory objectives
- Facilitate aggregation of total SKU level replenishment requirement for SKU’s crossing State & Export

**Continuous Improvement**
- Track sales vs actual to unpack latest demand movements. Drive improvement in forecast accuracy by understanding reasons for deviations from forecasts driving remediation plans
- Explore & Adopt various forecast methodologies to improve forecast accuracy
- Proactively drive planning excellence through people, process and tool and process streamlining
- Implement and drive SKU segmentation to allow business product prioritization
- Work in collaboration with Supply and finance to adjust stock policies and planning parameters to optimise inventory holding
- Support planning-related project implementation

**Other Planning Team Activities**
- Ensure item master data integrity is maintained for all portfolios
- Liaising and building relationships with sites and commercial BU Heads
- Build and develop a high-performance team through active coaching and clearly defined development plans
- Support Demand & Supply manager with strategic and operational needs

**EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE**:

- Bsc Engineering, Bcom Finance, Bcom Supply Chain relevant categories
- Planning experience 8+ years with Demand Management experience 5+ years
- Team management experience 5+ years
- Planning experience in FMCG or Pharmaceutical experience a must
- Import/Export and Supply Chain knowledge a must
- Statistical & Consensus Forecasting experience
- Supply Planning understanding a must
- Understanding of ERP systems and strong MS office working knowledge
- Preferable experience: Working knowledge of Qlikview, Power BI and SAP

**SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES**:

- Ability to facilitate discussions with various stakeholders to derive at a consensus forecast in both volume and value terms
- Ability to understand sensitivity of demand supply plans and articulate risks and decisions with business stakeholders
- Strong leadership skill to guide business decision making and st