Demand Planner, Team lead

Kao EMEA & Americas; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Health and wellbeing offers

Pension schemes

Insurance options

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

Kao is seeking a Demand Planning Team Lead to guide a two-person team and drive accurate forecasts across Molton Brown’s global channels. You will translate market insights into robust 24-month forecasts and support inventory, service levels and growth strategies.

You will partner with Sales, Marketing, Production and Supply Chain, oversee promotions and NPD inputs, and coach two planners to deliver measurable improvements in efficiency and accuracy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience required.
• 5–7 years' experience in demand planning, ideally in cosmetics and toiletries or FMCG.
• People leadership experience with coaching and development of a team.
• Commercial and strategic judgement with experience making decisions impacting cost and revenue.
• Analytical and critical-thinking skills to translate demand data into forecasts.
• Effective stakeholder management with senior leaders across Sales, Marketing, Production and Supply Chain.
• Ability to operate across multiple planning horizons in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop two Demand Planners, driving forecast accuracy using the Kao forecasting system and tools.
• Oversee analysis of demand patterns, SKU performance and market dynamics to identify opportunities and actions.
• Collaborate with Molton Brown Commercial teams across regions to incorporate inputs and promotions into the forecast.
• Engage with senior management to align demand expectations with priorities and manage revenue-impact decisions.
• Support all new product launches (NPD) and range reviews, ensuring necessary quantities are available and delivered on time.

Skills

Demand planning

People leadership

Forecast accuracy

Stakeholder management

SAP/IBP

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

SAP/IBP

Job description

We are Kao, listed as one of the world's most ethical companies for the last 20 years.

Our EMEA brand portfolio spans across three sectors; Consumer Care (John Frieda, Guhl, Bondi Sands, Bioré, Jergens, Curél), Professional Hair (Goldwell, Oribe, KMS Hair, Kerasilk), and Molton Brown.

Our corporate philosophy, The Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation, and treating each other with trust and respect.

About our role:

The Demand Planning Team Lead leads and develops a team of two Demand Planners, driving forecast accuracy, process improvement and best-practice planning across approximately 10 global sales channels and three main hubs. Working closely with Sales, Marketing, Production and Supply Chain, the role translates demand drivers and market insights into robust forecasts, improving short-term performance while building sustainable planning capabilities across a 24-month horizon to support inventory, service levels and business growth.

What you will do:

• Lead the Molton Brown Demand Planning team, ensuring the team owns, develops and drives Molton Brown Demand Planning forecasts using the Kao forecasting system and tools. Ensure processes are transparent, consistent and aligned with continuous improvement initiatives, with a focus on improving accuracy and efficiency.
• Oversee the analysis of demand patterns, SKU performance and market dynamics to identify opportunities for improvement and recommend appropriate actions. Partner with Molton Brown Commercial teams across regions to ensure Demand Planners capture and make effective use of relevant customer demand information when developing the internal forecast, including promotional planning inputs and NPD volume validation.
• Work closely with senior management, including VPs, Directors and Senior Managers, on a regular basis to align demand expectations with business priorities and manage decisions with significant revenue impact.
• Manage, coach and develop two Demand Planners, supporting their performance, capability and professional development.
• Support all new product launches (NPD) and range reviews. Ensure Christmas, summer and winter sales promotions are supported by the required quantities being available across all markets and delivered in a timely manner.

What you will need:

• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience is required; a higher degree or relevant professional qualification would be an advantage.
• 5-7 years' experience in demand planning, ideally within cosmetics and toiletries or an FMCG environment, with experience using SAP/IBP or similar planning systems.
• People leadership experience, with the ability to manage, coach and develop a team, while setting clear priorities and driving accountability.
• Commercial and strategic judgement, with experience making complex decisions involving significant cost, revenue and business considerations.
• Analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to interpret demand data, identify key drivers and translate insights into accurate forecasts and practical actions.
• Effective stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience working with senior leaders and collaborating across Sales, Marketing, Production and Supply Chain.
• Ability to operate across multiple planning horizons in a fast-paced environment, balancing short-, medium- and long-term objectives, with a good understanding of the wider supply chain including production planning, logistics and manufacturing.

At Kao, we believe the diversity of our teams strengthens our global mission. Here we trust and respect each other, collaborating in a friendly and inclusive work environment to achieve great results.

What you can expect from us:

• An entrepreneurial environment where passionate and innovative teams come together.
• Respect, teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of how we work.
• A workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, with opportunities to get involved in initiatives such as Mental Health First Aiders, our Charity Committee, and DE&I communities
• A broad range of benefits, including flexible working, competitive salaries, health and wellbeing offers, pension schemes, insurance options, and more...
• Learning and development opportunities

Your voice matters here, we value entrepreneurial thinking and innovation from our teams.

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