Head of Planning, EMEA

Belkin; Hemel Hempstead; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Belkin is seeking a Head of Planning in Hemel Hempstead to lead Demand and Supply Planning for the EMEA region. You will drive forecast accuracy, oversee S&OP processes, and collaborate with Sales, Finance, and Supply Chain to balance inventory and service levels.

The role requires strategic leadership, strong analytics, and proven experience managing planning teams across international portfolios, with a focus on KPI delivery and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Five years of experience in a similar role.
• Experience in Demand and Supply Planning across an international portfolio.
• Experience leading a small team delivering KPIs.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with Oracle ERP and planning tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Planning Team to drive operational excellence and KPI achievement.
• Manage demand and supply planning functions with your team across Product Groups.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align forecasts with business plans and new launches.
• Own the EMEA S&OP process and drive inventory optimization and cost efficiency.
• Mentor and develop Planners to build a best-in-class planning function.

Skills

Demand and Supply Planning

Team management

Analytical skills

English proficiency

Tools

Oracle Cloud Planning

Oracle ERP

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The Head of Planning is responsible for managing the Demand and Supply Planning core functions and delivering the EMEA Sales & Operating Planning process. The Head of Planning's responsibility is to accurately plan our demand forecasts to allow our supply functions to maintain inventory to maximize sales and customer fill rates while minimizing days of supply. Developing forecasts through the effective usage of our Planning tools and through collaborations with our cross-functional partners, continually increasing Belkin forecast accuracy, is the core activity of this function. Furthermore, the Head of Planning is responsible for facilitating a smooth S&OP process to develop forecasts and manage inventory with Sales, PM, Supply Planning and Finance inputs and alignment, whilst maintaining collaborative demand forecasts with the Sales leads.

How you’ll do it

• Lead the Planning Team to drive operational excellence, ensuring Regional and Global KPIs are met.
• Manage the demand and supply planning functions alongside your Planning team with the management of your own Product Groups.
• Manage the demand signals through analytics and collaborative reviews to ensure the forecasts are correct for the business.
• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to define NPI launches, plan to united transition plan, and adjust forecasts to align to the agreed plans.
• Analyze market trends and commercial impacts to recommend demand plans to the Sales Leads.
• Participating fully in the EMEA S&OP (Sales and Operations Planning) process owning the forecasted demand for your responsible markets while identifying opportunities to improve KPIs and improving the EMEA Supply Chain process and systems.
• By working closely with the BU leads, manage the demand signals of NPI launches and transitions to ensure the demand and cannibalization risks are being proactively communicated to key stakeholders for collaborative resolution.
• Ensure EOL plans are forecasted correctly, and remaining inventory is consumed where applicable to provide the business with the correct E&O visibility based on these demand signals.
• Mentor and train the Planners to be best in class and create independence by empowering the team to make educated decisions.
• Utilize the demand forecast signed off by Planning and Sales Leads to maintain inventory supply, whilst adhering to the regional KPIs, excess stock exposure, inventory targets, and reduced air freight expenditure.
• Execute appropriate purchase orders to maintain the demand signal you’ve applied in the system.
• Closely monitor supply constraints to ensure rolled demand forecasts are not being purchased where supply is diminished, and demand is lost.
• Expedite and defer purchase orders to meet evolving demand plans as per the exception messages being Identified through the MRP messages.
• Review and drive E&O reduction plans with relevant stakeholders by monitoring inbound inventory projections closely to prevent future inventory issues.
• Partner with Global Planning to ensure raw material inventory targets are met and minimize material obsolescence during product transition.
• Perform root-cause analysis for any out of stocks, or overstocks, by reviewing the demand signals that influenced the supply requirements and provide visibility of the impacts to the business for collaborative resolution.
• Ensure the relevant teams are maintaining data integrity and highlight and misinformation for resolution with Global Planning, Logistics, etc.
• Identify opportunities to improve service and inventory KPIs, implement improvement plans and track results.
• Review financial spending to ensure commercials are being met and cost-effective options are being selected prior to conducting any inventory purchases.
• Review all freight method costs and ensure correct consensus and approvals are secured prior to committing to the air freight spend.
• Create and run reports, metrics, analytics, and work with the right groups to improve key performance indicators.
• Building, managing, and maintaining excellent relations with both internal and external stakeholders, and customers, while driving collaboration and maintaining high business performance.
• Fulfill responsibilities under ISO 9001; understand and fully support ISO system.
• Maintain a safe and clean work environment.
• Understand and follow company rules and regulations.
• Perform all other duties as assigned and required.
• Building, managing and maintaining excellent relations with both internal and external stakeholders, and customers, while driving collaboration and maintaining high business performance.
• Must be flexible and able to adapt quickly into a fast-paced environment.
• The ability to prioritise tasks to meet critical business deadlines is essential.

What you’ll need & What you’ve done

• Previous experience in Demand and Supply Planning across an international portfolio.
• Previous experience of managing a small team to deliver on KPI’s, improve performance where needed and ensure the team are aligned to the expectations of their internal clients.
• Solid organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills including strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in Demand & Supply Planning tools, such as Oracle Cloud Planning.
• Effective problem solving and analytical skills.
• Mastery in communication to a wide range of stakeholders at varying levels.
• Business level proficiency in English required; additional language is advantageous.
• Experience with an ERP system preferably Oracle.
• Strong experience in Microsoft office preferably Excel and PowerPoint.
• Possess excellent people and relationship management skills.
• Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Minimum five years’ experience working in a similar position.
Sound judgement, flexibility, and strong professional ethics.
• Proven ability to meet multiple deadlines.

What you’re getting into

We’ve got big collaborative spaces for your big ideas, so bring an open mind and leave your suit in the closet. We all are committed to creating unique and rewarding consumer experiences. Everyone is interested in succeeding – for the team, for themselves and for the business. Cross-functionally and across the company, everyone has common goals and aspires to be their best.

You will learn something new or at least look at things differently every day. There are so many smart and creative people around that you’ll be motivated to pursue the ideal.

Team spirit is infectious. Belkin is an extremely open workplace, where communication is essential. Not every idea will be accepted, but you’ll be asked for your point of view. Innovation thrives on multiple and varied levels. At Belkin we challenge conventional wisdom and refuse to accept that something cannot be done.

Belkin is an Equal Opportunity and Aff