Regional Customer Service & Logistics Manager - Midrand at Colgate-Palmolive

Main Responsibilities:

• Demand planning, Inventory Management
• Lead monthly demand planning process for the region. 
• Ensure demand plans are submitted per hub timeline and accurately entered into SAP APO Demand Planning Module. Timely completion of DP error root cause analysis and drive continuous improvement of Demand Planning results.
• Develop and improve the collaborative demand planning process in order to increase Demand Planning Accuracy, improve service, and reduce obsolescence.
• Support Consumer/Customer Marketing planning of new product launches and promotions. Review and challenge volumes and timing as appropriate.
• Collaborate with customers to support joint planning (demand planning, secondary sales forecasting, promotion planning, etc) using available customer data. 
• Communicate any Supply chain issues or constraints which will affect customer plans.
• Seek opportunities for simplification by managing SKUs and driving rationalization and harmonization initiatives. Ensure timely maintenance of SKU portfolio.
• Adopt an end-to-end view of supply chain inventory levels to enrich demand planning performance, remove waste and reduce stock outs.
• Deliver Key CS&L metrics for the Southern Africa region: DPA/Bias, Inventory.

Customer Service & Order Fulfillment 

• Monitor performance metrics to understand service and efficiency trends within assigned customers and find opportunities for improvement. Shares performance information with local management team, divisional CS&L and customers to develop collaborative approaches to correct inefficient behaviors or fix system disconnects/failures.
• Identify root causes of customer supply chain inefficiencies and Out of Stocks (OOS). Facilitate solutions with local & divisional resources as well as customers.
• Effectively manage data flow, communication and processes associated with new and transitioning SKU’s, material status (e.g. SLOB, Discontinued) and ensures synchronization with customer’s data.
• Support the enforcement of Commercial Terms & Conditions with the customer(s) and investigate opportunities to improve logistics efficiencies.
• Leads opportunities to implement valuable services such as Collaborative Planning, Efficient Replenishment, Data Synchronization, EDI, etc.
• Integrated Demand Driven Supply & Funding the Growth
• Work with the regional commercial team to deliver expected Return on Investment and projected cost to serve for promotions and special packs.
• Works closely with the local Finance Manager to optimize a “Cost to Serve” model and customer Economic Order Quantities (EOQ) which are linked to consumption.
• Address special customer needs and expectations around product packaging, calling upon the appropriate Supply Chain, CS&L, & Commercial resources to develop/offer the most cost-effective solutions.
• Collaborate with the local team, customers, and division to deliver Funding the Growth savings across all areas of Customer Service & Logistics.
• Manage local warehousing & distribution costs to budget.

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent preferably in Business, Logistics Or Engineering 
• Minimum 5 years of experience either in Customer Service/Logistics /Supply Chain/Demand/Logistics/Operations and People Management Development 
• Minimum 2 years of people management experience 
• Experience in Leading Sub-Saharan markets
• Proven experience in establishing relationships at senior levels with customers and working with cross-functional selling teams