Great things are happening in the Europe and Australia (EUAU) region. Each day, our 2,500 plus colleagues bring their passion to our offices, manufacturing sites, R&D center, and commercial/distributor markets across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. We are energized by over 150 years of bringing people together with the food they love. With beloved brands Old El Paso, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Fibre One, Latina Fresh and more, we are on a mission to become the undisputed growth leader in food for EUAU. In a world that’s ever-changing, we look to stay ahead and seek people who share our love of food and are hungry to shape the future.
We are looking for a passionate Demand Planning Manager to manage Distributor Markets in Central Eastern European Markets, based out of Athens, Greece
Key responsibilities:
· Lead the demand planning process for Central Eastern European markets using statistical capabilities, market data and inputs from all relevant internal and external stakeholders.
· Build 24-months rolling in market sales and shipment SKU level forecast for all relevant markets, provide visibility into demand risks and opportunities, including scenario and sensitivity analysis.
· Partner with regional supply planners and Customer Service & Logistics team to ensure stock availability against the customer orders.
· Monitor inventory health metrics, including inventory days of coverage (DOH), availability, service levels and stock obsolescence risks.
· Provide insights to influence stock/shipment re-allocation decisions of internal or external stakeholders to maintain freshness and availability.
· Review and align the orders received from the customers with customers/commercial team to make sure they are in line with the prompted orders and business outlook.
· Ensure that supply related constraints are addressed, phase-in/phase-out plans are done and discussed with the relevant plant or supply chain teams and actioned.
· Be the supply chain spoke for new product launches ensure that these initiatives are executed as per the targeted volumes, values and timelines.
· Lead Demand Reviews and Demand Validation Meetings as part of our S&OP process, participate in Market Business Reviews
· Implement and manage CPFR (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment) processes with key distributor partners to enhance forecast reliability, availability and service levels.
· Champion continuous improvement in forecasting processes, planning tools, and data quality.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
· Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Economics or a related field
· 5-8 years’ experience in Demand Planning, Supply Planning, or S&OP within the FMCG sector
· Proven experience in distributor-led markets and managing demand processes across multiple geographies
· Strong analytical and numerical ability, proficiency in Excel and planning tools (SAP APO/IBP, OMP)
· Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across functions and regions with effective negotiation skills
· A proven “doer” who acts with speed and agility to deliver results
· Deep understanding of forecasting methodologies, inventory dynamics and S&OP processes
· Experience in CPFR and collaborative forecasting with customers/distributors
· Attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and ability to work in a dynamic environment
· Fluency in English
Required: Work Attributes/Qualities
· Interpersonal skills with the confidence to challenge.
· Proactive approach, working with minimum supervision
· Teamwork
· Results Orientation
· Multi-tasker
· Ability to work with tight deadlines
· Strong presentation skills
· Ability to influence
COMPANY OVERVIEW
We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.