Manager, Brand DP IBP - APAC

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is seeking a Forecast Development specialist to analyze and align demand plans across major categories for Singapore. The role requires partnering with brand teams to close gaps and to drive data-driven decisions using forecasting tools.

You will lead monthly reviews, maintain robust plans, and support Brand Consensus and IBP processes with insights on launches and market shifts. This role focuses on affiliate-level planning and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Self-starter able to work independently.
• Fast learner with strong organizational skills.
• Excellent data analysis in Excel/Access.
• Proven collaboration across regions.
• Strong math and analytical abilities.
• Experience with forecasting and replenishment systems.
• Knowledge of inventory models and metrics.
• Understanding of retail planning and inventory management.
• Minimum education: college degree.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Analyze demand plans and launches at Affiliate/ Brand level and identify gaps.
• Lead Brand Consensus meetings and Affiliate IBP with scenario planning.
• Maintain robust demand plans using statistical forecasting models.
• Escalate insights on Major Category/Heroes/New Launches to drive decisions.
• Prepare detailed reports and recommendations for Affiliate IBP and Regional IBP.
• Collaborate with brand and planning teams to shape demand.

Skills

Self starter

Fast learner

Organizational skills

Time management

Data analysis (Excel/Access)

Collaboration across teams

Communication skills

Math and analytical skills

Inventory planning knowledge

Education

College degree or equivalent

Tools

o9

AFO

Power BI

JDA

JustEnough

SAP

I2

Job description

Forecast Development

• Analyze total Affiliate / Brand demand plan at the major category level (Skincare, Makeup) to identify any risks or opportunity, and drive decisions to close any gaps identified.
• Analyze total key launches at the Affiliate / Brand level to ensure sufficiency and reasonability of new launches demand plan, and drive actions to close any gaps identified.
• Generate demand plans at the Affiliate level for assigned brands, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Validate Affiliate/Cluster demand trends and key sales driver assumptions, entering accurate inputs into forecasting systems for effective modeling and analysis.
• Conduct monthly reviews of demand trends and sales driver assumptions to ensure the accuracy and reasonableness of demand plans across multiple aggregation levels, factoring in different sales channels.
• Maintain robust demand plans by optimizing the use of statistical forecasting models and incorporating relevant sales drivers for assigned brands at the Affiliate/Cluster levels.
• Ensure timely adjustments across affiliates based on emerging sales trends, with a particular focus on new product launches and market fluctuations.

Forecast Alignment

• Accountable for ensuring a comprehensive view of demand across both Basic and New SKUs within the Affiliate.
• Lead Brand Consensus meetings and selected Affiliate IBP, providing insights into demand trends, validating sales driver assumptions, and sharing scenario planning based on risk and opportunity assessments.
• Lead the gap management process during Brand Consensus and selected Affiliate IBP to address variances between demand plans, supply plans, and Latest Estimates (LE) and capturing major differences as part of risk and opportunity management.
• Implement a standardized process for sales driver reviews across affiliates, ensuring the most accurate and current market intelligence is integrated into the demand plans.
• Work closely with Brand General Managers to resolve demand imbalances and shape demand, particularly in scenarios of constrained supply.
• Prepare detailed reports, scenarios, and recommendations to support the Affiliate IBP on a monthly basis, and provide insights to the Regional IBP as needed.
• Escalate key insights and exceptions of Major Category/Heroes/New Launches/Channels at the Affiliate/Brand level to Affiliate and Regional Brand IBP, to drive decisions to close any exceptions.
• Collaborate with Affiliate / Execution planners and brand/commercial teams to manage and shape demand if/when required.

KPI & Process Improvement Management

• Act as a subject matter expert in systems (e.g. o9, AFO, Power BI), leading all systems training and enhancement initiatives within the Brand cluster.
• Act as a subject matter experts in processes (e.g. DP-Retail trend analysis, promo reconciliation), educating cross-functional teams within the Brand cluster.
• Review reasonability of Affiliate/Cluster/Major Category Statistical forecast on a rolling 12 months basis, and partner Global/Regional Stats team to drive ongoing improvements
• Develop and improve processes, tools and reports to drive continuous improvements and collaborations within the Brand cluster.
• Oversee the management of key demand planning metrics such as WFA, Bias, Attainment and FVA for the assigned brands.
• Identify and implement improvement initiatives across affiliates to enhance WFA performance by optimizing the adoption of statistical forecasting and sales drivers, conducting root-cause analyses to address gaps.

Qualifications

• Self starter and ability to work independently
• Fast learner
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, ability to quickly reprioritize while still meeting deadlines
• Ability to analyze and review large amount of data in Excel or MS Access
• Collaboration across functional and regional teams
• Ability to succinctly summarize analysis results and recommend solutions for optimizing systems and processes
• Strong math and analytical skills
• Strong understanding of allocation and replenishment systems and parameters (safety stock, lead time,review cycle, etc.)
• Strong communication skills
• Knowledge of inventory models and metrics
• Deep understanding of retail planning and inventory management needs
• Prior experience using forecasting and replenishment systems such as JDA, JustEnough, SAP, I2
• Understanding of retail store operations and planning processes
• Minimum Education level: College degree or equivalent years of experience
• Minimum Years of Experience: 5+
• % Travel Time: 5%