Demand Planning Manager Europe (Wine Jobs: Sales & Marketing)

Competitive salary dependent on experience plus excellent benefits and staff wine allowance.

We have an opportunity for a Demand Planning Manager to join our Commercial Operations Team at our UK Head Office in Weybridge, close to the train and town centre, with free parking on site. In this role you will have responsibility for the Demand Plan for the European and Americas Commercial Business Units, as well as managing the European based Demand Planning Team and associated Demand Planning processes. You will be responsible for ensuring that the forward Demand forecast, covering both the Tactical horizon  (0-3 months) and the Long Term  horizon (3 – 60 months), is maintained in line with the weekly, monthly and annual Sales &Operations Planning and Business Planning cycles. You will drive a collaborative and consensus approach by working with Commercial, Marketing, Category and Commercial Finance Teams, as well as key customers where appropriate, to ensure that the agreed forecast is robust and reflective of latest insight and intelligence. In this role you will drive continuous improvement plans with regards to Demand Planning processes & techniques, reporting and action planning around key KPIs, as well as ensuring that demand forecasts are informed by statistical forecasts, historical sales trends and business, brand & category insights. 

Drawing on our proud heritage as one of the first wineries established in Australia, Accolade Wines has evolved into a global wine company with some of the world’s best known brands sold in over 140 countries and have more than 1,700 talented employees in 19 countries. Today our portfolio comprises of more than 35 wineries and brands from premium regions in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and California.  This breadth makes us one of the world’s leading providers of New World premium, commercial and value wines. In the UK our most popular and market leading brands are Hardy’s, Kumala and Echo Falls. 

Demand Planning Process and S&OP

• The management of the monthly Demand Planning process in line with the overall monthly S&OP & Business planning cycle; with all key assumptions and commentary captured,  reviewed and shared
• Manage and drive demand planning & forecasting techniques and analysis, including the use and management of available software,  systems and methods to continually improve forecasts
• Ensure key inputs, outputs and collaboration into key business planning processes and  calendars; such as the annual Budget and Strat planning processes, Latest estimates, Plan Do Review, Wine & Viticulture Review calendar, Brand planning 
• Provide input, insight  and challenge to:
  • Commercial Region forecast to ensure it represents as robust and accurate a forward view as possible  
  • New product launches, product exit and lifecycle management from a Demand Planning perspective
• Maintain an unconstrained forward view of demand unless there is a business requirement to constrain a particular part of the portfolio
• In periods of constraint, provide input and insight into the most optimal business decision for constrained elements of the portfolio 
• Highlight performance and provide insight into the latest forecast vs budget and latest estimates; with clear and timely communication & escalation of any financial and strategic implications as appropriate in order to meet key business performance metrics.

Insight and intelligence

• Through collaboration with key departments and stakeholders ensuring the Demand Planning process and the forecast is as robust and informed as possible 
• Ensure the Demand Planning process and forecasts are informed by:
  • Statistical forecasts and analysis
  • Commercial and Brand plans
  • Customer plans, insight and intelligence
  • Category insight and market data & trends
  • Promotional evaluation and performance
  • Any market related data and competitor intelligence

Tools & Reporting KPI reporting and management 

• Ownership, maintenance and management of Demand Planning software as primary forecasting tool (INFOR)
• Management, reporting and review of key Demand Planning and forecasting KPIs, such as forecast accuracy and bias, and any adverse trends
• Apply error analysis techniques to improve forecasting including visibility, action planning and course correction where appropriate

Team Management & Development 

• Responsible for managing, coaching and developing the Demand Planning team to achieve business, team and personal objectives
• Managing and prioritising workloads in a dynamic fast paced environment
• Driving the team to a continuous improvement mind set and developing and simplifying Demand planning processes
• Identification of, measurement of and improvement against forecasting KPI’s and fast and continuous implementation of corrective measures, processes and reporting

Required experience is

• Proven Track record in  Demand Planning, S&OP and Customer Collaboration
• FMCG experience preferred  - 5+ years 
• People Management experience essential
• (INFOR software systems currently used; experience an advantage)

Essential qualifications are

• Degree Level 
• And/or qualifications in S&OP and Demand Planning

You will have the flexibility to work out of office hours to accommodate the occasional call with our Australian colleagues and have the ability to travel to our Accolade Park site near Bristol,  if required.

In addition to a competitive salary we also offer a fantastic range of benefits including medical cover pension scheme and staff wine allowance.

If this sounds like your next role please click on the apply button.  

Like to see our fabulous bottling site and find out more about our products – then click on the video  http://www.accolade-wines.com/our-company/production/