Demand Planner at MSD

Job Description

Our Supply Chain team ensures inventory is consistently available to meet customer demand. We coordinate all aspects of supply through supply planning, sourcing, making, inventory management, packaging and delivery. We partner across the Marketing, Finance and Manufacturing organizations to build a robust demand and supply plan and ensure we get products to the right customer, at the place, at the right time.

Position Overview

The Demand Planning position is responsible for all forecasting activities associated with SA products.
The demand Planner works with Rapid Response to create and maintain forecast models which incorporates business intelligence and forecast information gathered from sales, marketing, finance and all other relevant sources.

The demand planner is the integration point into the commercial organization and a liaison point with our Manufacturing Division.

This position will lead the S&OP dialogue on a monthly basis with marketing and finance.

Major responsibilities:

• Create statistical forecasts by:
• Gathering, analysing and validating data
• Executing statistical modelling software (Rapid Response)
• Review resultant forecasts with forecast team
• Solicit, assess and present feedback on forecasts from sales, marketing and finance
• Recommend adjustments for operational forecasts.
• Review sales forecasts in promotional plan presentations
• Achieve consensus for operational demand forecasts by facilitating a collaborative planning process with sales, marketing and finance.
• Prepare relevant material to facilitate research and discussion
• Facilitate and manage the Sales and Operational Planning meetings on a monthly basis (S&OP).
• Collaborate with regional planners to manage shorted dated / expiry stock.
• Collaborate with our manufacturing division to ensure that the demand plan pulls through to the supply chain in a timeous and efficient manner and assist with the management of inventory at DSV
• Track out of stocks and DSV backorders on a weekly basis and provide feedback to the sales and marketing team.
• Highlight inventory risk (potential OOS and IQV) in a timeous manner to the LT.
• Responsible for reporting adverse experiences or events (AEs), adverse device events (ADEs),  product quality complaints (PQCs) and other reportable information, customer feedback (CF),  alleged counterfeiting, diversion and tampering (CDT) that they become aware of to the Designated Point of Contact (DPOC)

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent tertiary qualification

Skills/Capabilities

• Business and financial acumen
• Strong analytical and Excel skills
• Ability to work collaboratively
• Ability to deal effectively with ambiguity and uncertainty
• Ability to think and plan strategically
• Strong prioritization skills
• Ability to plan and implement strategies
• Solution oriented
• Strong negotiation skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Be able to work autonomously

Experienced Required:

• Applicants would have a minimum of 5 years commercial work experience within the local Pharmaceutical market with a clear and demonstrated track-record of success and with good understanding of business fundamentals and market trends
• Our Human Health Division maintains a “patient first, profits later” ideology. The organization is comprised of sales, marketing, market access, digital analytics and commercial professionals who are passionate about their role in bringing our medicines to our customers worldwide.