Job Summary

The Country Demand Planner owns the Demand Planning process and leads S&OP to ensure an accurate and unbiased forecast to efficiently allocate company resources and ensure high levels of service to customers.  Manages the volume Demand Plan at all horizons and all levels of granularity and responsible for forecast accuracy and bias.  Collaborates closely with Sales, Marketing & Finance to achieve a consensus Demand Plan constrained by Supply.

Key Responsibilities 

Forecasting of future Demand

• Owns the process to create a robust volume Demand Plan for all horizons and all levels of granularity
• Partners with Sales & Finance to ensure Financial Forecast and volume forecasts are aligned and connected
• Leverages internal and external data as well as statistical tools and models to future forecast including baseline, uplifts and impactors
• Collaborates with all relevant functions to gain the best possible insight into future volumes and reach a consensus forecast
• Challenges and aligns cross functionally on forecasts for new products, items being discontinued and promotions
• Analyses the past forecast to identify variances and works with Sales and Marketing to understand these and adjust the future forecast
• Responsible for delivering high Demand Plan accuracy and low Forecast Bias

Improve Forecast Accuracy

• Propose and execute measures to improve the quality of the Demand Plan
• Perform detailed analysis on past forecast accuracy to identify areas for improvement and then execute improvement projects
• Collaborates with other Country Demand Planners to share best practices and stays aware of external developments in forecasting methodologies / tools
• Leverage and pilot innovative tools or techniques to improve forecast accuracy - proactively takes the initiative to be an innovator and a pioneer 

Leadership of S&OP

• Lead the S&OP process to align on unconstrained and then constrained plans, both in volume and value in close collaboration with Sales, Marketing and Finance and with the Supply Planner on constraining for forecast 
• Clearly identify risks and opportunities not included in the forecast
• Leads the S&OP activities to align on future forecast for major events such as the 4 Year Business plan, Production Windows and Annual Business Plan

Cross functional collaboration

• Guide Supply Planners on risks / opportunities not included in the forecast and align on risk mitigating supply strategies
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to ensure a clear events calendar is available
• Develop models to better predict the impact of events and then provide guidance to Sales and marketing on optimising trade and promotional spends
• Partner with Customer Facing Supply Chain on Collaborative Planning with customers
• Play a strong role in the New Products process to ensure robust forecasting of demand and agile adjustment of the forecast after launch
• Collaborate with the Global Supply Chain team to take the Demand Planning & S&OP processes forward and piloting potential tools / models to enhance forecasting

Reporting Structure and Key Stakeholders

• Reports directly to the Country Supply Chain Manager.
• Works closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Planner, Customer Facing Supply Chain and GMs.  Collaborates with Crop Managers, Group Supply Chain, Group Sales.

• Experienced (average of 6 years) in Demand Planning or similar roles in an agriculture or consumer industry
• Business insight: strong understanding of the wider business, industry and market dynamics.  Is able to apply this knowledge into strategy / tactics development and spot potential opportunities/risks
• Functional knowledge: is an expert in Demand Planning and S&OP.  Can explain both to others.  Equally comfortable in technical detail and with strategy.  Skilled in the use of statistical techniques and tools
• Hands on: can get into details and do things themselves, not just issue instructions from a desk
• Strategic mindset: can build a robust plan supported by a clear, logical strategic framework; able to anticipate and visualize future scenarios 
• Financial acumen: very comfortable with complex numbers and understands financial analysis
• Strong sense of accountability: thinks and acts like an owner
• Drive for results: passionate to deliver results and is not easily daunted by challenges, strong execution capability
• Balances stakeholders: able to consider different views of stakeholders and makes a balanced, well thought-out  decisions 
• Effectively communicates: able to package and deliver messages in a clear and convincing manner and able to influence the right action from an audience
• Agility: is comfortable to shift style or ways of working depending on the business situation; can thrive in an organization where structure/process is still being developed
• Driven by the need to achieve meaningful results and be part of a purpose-driven organization

At East-West Seed, we care about growing talented individuals who are purposeful, innovative,
and passionate about our mission.

Our company develops, produces and commercializes tropical vegetable seeds for 18 million farmers worldwide. We believe in providing them good quality seeds and knowledge that will increase their productivity and income, and help improve the available of nutritious food for our growing population.

Today we are one of the 10 largest vegetable seed companies in the world, with a leading position in the most important Southeast Asian countries and rapid expansion into India, Africa, and South America. We are
a team of about 5,000 people, with direct presence in 9 countries and exporting to 60+ countries globally. We have 14 R&D stations in 6 countries and 10 seed processing facilities in 7 countries and we're proudly
to announce that we're #1 in the 2019 South and Southeast Asia Seed Index.