Demand Planner at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc

Job description

The Demand Planner will be responsible for the management and development of the demand planning functions, providing the interface between Brands’ Marketing, Sales, Finance and Supply Chain ensuring the demand planning process meets the business objectives and needs. The primary responsibility is to assist in the development and facilitation of an integrated Sale, Inventory & Operations Planning process, across the business.

The Demand Planner creates and maintains demand plans for their customers, incorporating business intelligence and forecast information gathered from sales, marketing, finance, retailer replenishment, and other sources (i.e. Beauty Update, consumer data).

The Demand Planner is the integration point into the commercial organization. This position leads the dialogue each month for their respective internal & external customers and products with key counterparts in the business functions (i.e. Sales, Marketing and Finance).

• Demand Planning
• Develop demand forecasts (operational forecasts) at multiple levels of aggregation for multiple time horizons by market and down to key accounts as part of a demand planning function. (Accountability for short term period 0 – 6 months and provides input for 7 – 27 months).
• Review historical sales trends, research demand drivers, prepare forecast data, develop an understating of the used statistical forecast models, and evaluate forecast results.
• Coordinate cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refine the forecast model to reflect updated sales and marketing assumptions.
• Interact with sales, marketing, and finance to understand demand forecast drivers.
• Utilize a collaborative and consensus approach by working with Sales, Marketing and Finance to obtain and ensure that current and accurate information is used for demand forecasts.
• Use and maintain the APO Planning software as the primary forecasting system tool.
• Work closely with the Inventory team ensuring that any gaps to supply vs. demand are accounted for in the demand plan.
• Validate the Demand Plan by reviewing trends in customer “sell to”, “sell thru” and stock holdings.
• Maintain product lifecycle (PLC’s).
• Review marketing calendar & business category mix with Brands
• Ensure Promotional forecasts are reconciled with promotional budget/Spend, highlighting any concerns with submitted usage plans.
• Generate and review alerts and reports on forecast accuracy.
• Review of New Product demand pre & post launch with brands and regional office, analysing initial demand and cannibalization impacts and customer stock holdings, documenting assumptions.
• Work with regional demand planning in the monthly process.
• Work with regional and global peers to develop understanding of global demand planning initiatives.
• Communicate Stock Reservation requirements to the inventory team.
• SIOP ownership, Preparation and management of the SIOP review meetings.
• Achieve consensus for operational demand forecasts by facilitating a collaborative planning process with sales, marketing and finance personnel
• Review sales plans, customer finance Budget Updates or Latest Estimates and demand drivers
• Present, solicit, and assess feedback on the various forecasts from sales, and finance
• Recommend adjustments for operational forecasts
• Prepare relevant material to facilitate research and discussion
• Review and maintain monthly scorecard for demand planning
• Provide input to the Inventory Planning in developing inventory strategies on existing items, new products, and product phase-outs
• Provide input to volume planning ( Latest Estimates / Annual Budget process)
• Maintain demand planning system and software
• Enter and modify data and ensure the correctness
• Monitor trends in forecast error
• Identify relevant market-related data and competitive intelligence
• Prepare and maintain relevant reports pertaining to demand planning process.
• Manages Operational Effectiveness
• Masterfile Maintenance
• Maintain demand planning system APO - enter and modify data and ensure the correctness. i.e. PLC, Strategic Indicators, Characteristic Variable Combinations (CVC), “6 to 10” mapping.
• Month End
• Conduct monthly forecast review meetings (SIOP) with assigned Brands.
• Ensure Brand expectations are being met, forecast data presented to Brands is accurate and SIOP meetings are timely and thorough.
• Service Delivery Standards
• To facilitate and participle in the monthly SIOP scheduled meetings with ownership by demand planning as required by the business contributing on the subject matter of demand planning.
• Establish open communication and collaborate working relationships with Brand Marketing teams and work jointly with marketing teams to address any issues.
• Delivery a high level of customer service to local Brand Marketing teams, Finance teams, Distribution Centre teams and regional departments.
• Improves Business Processes
• Develop, recommend and implement new initiatives in regards to systems and processes – in line with the Demand Planning & Inventory Planning Manager.
• Leads and Develops People
• Acts with integrity – honours commitments and behaves consistently
• Establishes high workplace operating standards and values
• Clearly communicates priorities
• Workplace, Health and Safety (WHS)
• Take reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others
• Cooperate with Estee Lauder Management in the provision of a healthy and safe workplace
• Report any incidents or accidents as per Company process
• Undertake duties in accordance with the current Estee Lauder WHS principles, policies, procedures and objectives
• General
• Act as back up for the team when required
• And other general tasks as required by the Management Team
• Confidentiality
• An employee must not give information or documents relating to their employment and to the company to anyone unless authorised to do so by the HR team and/or the Leadership Team. This includes medical records and information about the company’s activities.

This position may from time to time be called by authorities and/ or media. This position is not to make any comment regarding the Estée Lauder Companies at any time, and must refer the calls to senior management immediately.

To summarise, it is not the intention of this Job Description to limit the scope or responsibilities of the above-mentioned, but to highlight the most important aspects of the position. It is essential that all employees are committed to their jobs and the success of the Company, and maintain a willingness to accept total flexibility of jobs and duties throughout the Company.

All employees must comply with Estée Lauder Companies Policies and Procedures and adhere to all standards at all times.

Personal Attributes

• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Solution solving skills
• Solid business intelligence
• High attention to detail and organisational skills
• The ability to work autonomously and contribute to the team
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and time management
• Proactive and positive approach to work and tasks
• Confidentiality, tact and discretion when dealing with people
• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures

Qualifications

• APICS qualified; Tertiary qualification or equivalent 3+ years of work experience in Supply Chain / Demand Planning
• Strong knowledge of ERP & MRP systems
• SAP/APO (QM & MM Module) experience is a requirement
• Advanced Microsoft Office, in particular Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook