Demand Planning Manager - Consumer Goods

Sdah Saputo Dairy Australia (Holdings); Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts across product

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Saputo Dairy Australia is seeking a Demand Planning Manager – Consumer Goods on a 12 month fixed term contract. You will lead a four-person demand planning team and own the 24-month rolling forecast in SAP, driving accuracy and bias reduction.

You will own the monthly demand review and weekly S&OP cadence, partner with senior commercial leadership, and ensure the forecast reflects market insights to guide capacity, launches and pricing discussions. Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Extensive demand planning or demand management experience in FMCG.
• Experience forecasting for major retail customers in a fast-paced consumer goods environment.
• Proven track record leading and developing planning teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a four-person demand planning team.
• Maintain the 24-month rolling forecast in SAP for baseline and promotions.
• Own the monthly demand review process with the Retail Sales Director.
• Own the weekly S&OE process and weekly forecast reviews with account teams.
• Drive forecast accuracy and bias reduction through root cause analysis.
• Manage product lifecycle activities including NPD forecasting.
• Own scenario planning for tenders and long-range planning.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing and Commercial Finance to reflect market insights.

Skills

Demand planning

FMCG experience

Leadership

Forecasting for retailers

SAP experience

Stakeholder collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or engineering

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

At Saputo, we bring good to the table by making high-quality products, investing in our people, and supporting communities around the world . As a top 10 global dairy processor, we value contributions that matter and strive to foster an inclusive, growth-driven work environment. Ready to bring your best?

How you will make contributions that matter

Join us as our Demand Planning Manager – Consumer Goods on a 12 month fixed term contract. Reporting to the Head of S&OP, you will lead the development of our demand planning function to drive forecast accuracy, surface key risks and opportunities, and close the gap to budget.

As the core S&OP representative on the Commercial Leadership team, you will own the relationship with our senior commercial stakeholders across the forecast, customer impacts and the end to end S&OP process. This is a genuine opportunity to bring an external perspective, challenge current ways of working and leave a lasting impact on our planning capability.

Key elements of your role will include:

• Leading and developing a high performing demand planning team of four direct reports
• Maintaining the quality and accuracy of the 24-month rolling forecast in SAP across baseline and promotions
• Owning the monthly demand review process in partnership with the Retail Sales Director
• Owning the weekly S&OE process and facilitating weekly forecast reviews with sales account teams
• Driving forecast accuracy and bias improvement through root cause analysis and continuous improvement
• Managing product lifecycle activity including NPD forecasting and deletions
• Owning scenario planning for tenders, stretch and long range planning to guide capacity and capital decisions
• Partnering with Sales, Marketing and Commercial Finance to ensure the forecast is assumption based and reflects current market insights

About you

• Extensive demand planning or demand management experience gained within FMCG
• Experience forecasting for major retail customers in a fast-paced consumer goods environment
• Proven experience leading and developing planning teams
• Track record of establishing or uplifting demand planning frameworks within a large organisation
• Experience owning and facilitating the demand review and S&OP process
• Strong technical capability across forecasting, inventory and ERP systems, with SAP highly desirable
• Confidence to challenge the status quo and introduce new ways of working
• Excellent facilitation, communication and structured problem-solving skills
• Broader supply planning exposure will be highly regarded
• Tertiary qualification in business, engineering or a related field

We will support you with

• A 12-month fixed term contract with a competitive salary package
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• A capable, established team and genuine exposure to senior commercial leadership
• Employee discounts across our product range
• Access to our employee wellbeing and assistance programs

Saputo Dairy Australia is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants require Australian working rights at the time of applying.

As a leading dairy processor in Australia, Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a variety of products, with a portfolio of well-loved brands such as Devondale, Liddells, CHEER, Mersey Valley and Tasmanian Heritage. Our people bring these popular brands to life, while servicing our farming communities and through our AG Warehouse network.

Whether your expertise lies in manufacturing, operations, supply chain, sales, quality assurance, or in any other function, your role is integral to our success. You will make contributions that matter, all while working alongside colleagues who genuinely care about your success and who will roll up their sleeves to help.