Specialist - Demand Planning at Astron Energy (Pty) Ltd.

Lead and manage the Retail and Marketing Demand Planning and Monitoring process to ensure alignment of functions to deliver business goals.  Overall responsibility for Retail and Marketing demand sales and operating planning process, including Demand Forecasting, Supply collaboration, and Cross-function execution of Sales & Operations processes. Works with  Managers (Retail and Marketing) to ensure Sales & Operations process focuses on opportunities with greatest impact. Sales managers and business support to focus on robust demand planning activities, and Supply chain to drive correct inventory and material planning within a constrain and unconstraint environment.
Responsible for demand planning activities in South Africa .  Develops demand plans to support the projected business sales plans.  Facilitate & prepare the meeting.  Using both Demand and Supply knowledge to drive change in executing the Process, and facilitate process improvements in both, the demand and supply space, through knowledge sharing and using the influence model to drive for change, and collaboration using the influence model to drive for change, and collaboration.

Demand Planning

Responsible for demand planning activities in South Africa .  Develops demand plans to support the projected business sales plans. Input into  Sales review , Pre-S&OP and S&OP meetings

• Facilitate monthly demand forecast aggregation, including consensus between function and stakeholders
• Review and update sales forecasts- input to Demand Mgmt. System (IBP). Working towards reliable 6-month forecast (product level) in aid of better planning.
• Provide leadership for the demand planning/forecasting process
• 12 Month rolling demand forecast to drive focus on strategic decisions to meet business plan targets
• Collaboration with Fuels  and marketing teams on PLCM process, product introductions and promotional planning to mitigate surge and drops in demand. Working to have this reflected in IBP timeously.
• Monitor demand performance throughout the month and provide detailed input for use in demand reviews
• Drive for weekly tracking of Month end projections.
• Drive forecast accuracy at multiple levels.
• Pre-demand meetings  to ensure and challenge demand planning inputs,  to deep-dive major customer demand to ensure nothing is missed and to drive improvements

Reporting

• FCA and Root cause L though analysis of variance and identify immediate and future actions
• Pre Demand Review preparation and meetings
• Demand Review Deck Preparation
• Weekly reporting to the sales team around FC vs Offtake (more frequently during constraint situation to better track demand vs actuals, to effectively mitigate surge and drop in demand)
• Provide Volume FC inputs into the SC process and Financial FC & Business Planning Processes
• Provide update in the Plan vs Action (PVA)
• Volume Tracker of Big Business and large growth Opportunities

IBP system maintenance and alignment.

• Ensure Demand Planning master data is clean to enable accurate demand forecasting.
• Dummy Account Setup and maintenance
• Product and customer re-alignments

Fuels and Marketing Planning Coordinator

• Lead and manage the S&OP process to ensure alignment of functions to deliver business goals. 
• Overall responsibility for Fuels and Maketing demand sales and operating planning process, including Demand Forecasting, Supply collaboration, and Cross-function execution of Sales & Operations process
• Oversee all S&OP and demand planning activities
• Facilitate information flow between all the stakeholders on a regular basis in order to meet customer service targets and understand root causes, resolve problems as they arise, and address actions
• Facilitate cross-functional discussions between Fuel and Marketing and drive for alignment and buy-in to enable decision-making.
• Conduct the Pre-S&OP and S&OP meetings
• Manage S&OP activities that provide analysis which drive business decisions relative to improving service through streamlining cross-functional activities
• Establish alignment with operational partners to optimize production strategies through coordinating with cross-functional  teams through Demand reviews, supply reviews,  Pre-Sales & Operations and Sales & Operations meetings
• Drive for continuous improvement of the S&OP processes.
• Provide direction  for planning processes to align demand, supply and company goals
• Communicate major Supply issues and demand trends. Establish alignment with operational partners to optimize production strategies. Work with  Network Planner & Supply manager to develop plans to meet demand.
• Advance reporting and analysis providing information for planning
• Actively drive for decisions during period of supply constraint
• Drive for decisions and trade-off during constraint situations
• Identify further opportunities for efficiency improvements, within sales and cross functionally

Other

• Participate and drive Demand related LPS tools, LIs and NLIs. Investigation Team member/Team leas for cross function.
•  Involved in execution of the Management of Change (MOC) process to ensure seamless transitions with no impact to supply chain performance, or customers
• Sales Support on Business Case submissions and volumes, lookbacks
• PLCM Process participation
  • Month Business review and Pricing meeting participation
• Conduct lookback on key issues and projects
• Build relationship with stakeholders through active collaboration to ensure openness, transparency to be able to bridge both demand and supply challenges.
• Audit and compliance actions
• Project implementation

Financial Perspective

• Achieve the sales Volumes for the Fuels Marketing business
• Achieve the EBITDA target for the Fuels Marketing business
• Manage Direct Opex to achieve required savings targets
• Manage the Capex for the Fuels Marketing business to deliver within target

Customer Perspective

• Ensure Completion of Demand Forecasting Process, Accuracy Improvement
• Drive Big Business Model for new customers
• Successful on boarding of new customers identified in this tool, no stock out of product post on boarding as a result of new customer
• Demand Forecasting - On boarding new customers
• Attend QBR's/BPR's, Addressing trends/concerns/opportunities with customers, training and constant improvements

Business Excellence

• Business Planning Processes
• Sales &Operational processes (Demand , Supply, Pre-S&OP, S&OP)
• Demand Planning Processes (Pre-demand and demand reviews)
• Supply Planning Processes
• S&OP Sub-process ( PLCM, MOC)

People Management

• No direct reports, but influence model critical

Professional Qualification and Certifications: 

• Minimum a three-year degree at an SAQA-accredited University (Business, Commerce, Finance, Sales and Marketing Degree)

Work Experience:

• Demand Planning Background
• Retail Fuel and Marketing process experience
• Retail Fuels and Marketing background Advantageous

Knowledge and skills:

• SAP IBP background
• Demand planning background
• Analytical and Advance Excel Skills

Application deadline:

01 August 2023