Commercial Planning Lead

Biovac; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 500,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Biovac, a leading sterile vaccine manufacturer in Africa, seeks a Commercial Planning Lead to manage their commercial vaccines value chain. The role demands a dynamic individual skilled in demand forecasting, inventory management, and building effective relationships. With responsibilities including negotiating with service providers and preparing reports, it requires proven experience in a commercial environment and relevant educational qualifications. The position is pivotal to ensuring optimized product supply aligning with customer demand.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience in commercial supply and demand value chain desired.
• Knowledge of cold chain logistics management critical.

Responsibilities

• Manage the commercial vaccines value chain.
• Identify and mitigate demand and supply forecast risks.
• Prepare management reports and maintain inventory systems.

Skills

Inventory Management

Demand Forecasting

Analytical Skills

Negotiation

Relationship Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or diploma or equivalent

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

BIOVAC is one of the leading sterile vaccine manufacturers rooted in Africa, with our core purpose being to "protect life". We are looking to hire a dynamic, passionate, confident, proactive and meticulous Commercial Planning Lead to join a goal-oriented team.

QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED:

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma or equivalent.
• Recognition is given to Prior Learning and practical experience.

NECESSARY EXPERIENCE & INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE:

• Experience in commercial supply and demand value chain.
• Experience in managing demand risks and new product launches.
• Knowledge of processes for the management of cold chain logistics, administration, procedures, quality, production, products, and safety required.
• Inventory Management and Analysis.
• Experience in SAP or ERP systems.
• Participation in developing a departmental budget and monitoring.
• Experience in general business management within a commercial environment is preferred.
• Experience in Commercial Supply value chain is preferred.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE:

• Responsible for the management of the commercial vaccines value chain.
• Ability to understand sensitivity of demand and supply plans, and articulate risks and decisions with business stakeholders.
• Identify demand and supply forecast risks and propose effective mitigation plans.
• Manage and Maintain planning systems to reflect latest forecast.
• Inventory parameters are reviewed and revised, when necessary, with specific reference to Safety Stock, Replenishment Cycles and Lead times to meet customer demand.
• Perform scenario analysis to ensure supply of finished goods in optimal fashion.
• Work closely with Sales, Finance and Supply Chain to align forecasts, identify trends and continuously improve accuracy.
• Managing the inbound logistics process and movement of all vaccine products to Cape Town warehouse and JHB warehouse.
• Negotiating rates, terms, and conditions with freight forwarders and service providers.
• Monitor the warehouse capacity at JHB to ensure adequate availability for all incoming products.
• Provide Business Partners with a 12-18month rolling supply forecast to meet our customer’s demand.
• Review Supplier agreements and initiate required updates accordingly.
• Initiate and implement the S21 & S36 process for all products to be imported outside of the Tender scope.
• Compiling and preparing all Tender documentation required for Tender submission as and when necessary.
• Manage and maintain the creation of Barcodes for finished products and keeping records.
• Preparation of commercial related reports for the department and monthly supplier engagement meetings.
• Preparing management reports, analysing performance data, and identifying areas for improvement.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with Business Partners, Suppliers, service providers, customers, and team members.
• Use the analytical and sales data of the company and industry to effectively estimate future product demands.
• Responsible for the compiling and submission of Pipeline Analysis reports on RSA Pharmadatabase for Products on tender.
• Maintenance and checks the Central Supplier Database portal to ensure that the companies’ details are correct and operate within compliance, i.e., Tax compliant & BB-BEE.
• Perform market research on current and future products for Biovac and collating the data into reports or graphs for easy access and analysis.
• Monitor market trends and competitor activity to inform strategic decisions.
• Working closely with cross-functional teams to achieve commercial alignment.
• Trackwise Custodian for the department - create and maintain all the necessary Change controls, Deviations, CAPA’s, etc.
• SAP Material Master custodian for commercial products.
• Commercial Operations lead for Site Projects being implemented.
• Keep abreast of current trends, practices, developments, and regulatory changes which would impact the business.

Application Deadline: 03 July 2025

If you do not receive a response from us within three weeks of submitting your application, please understand that your application was not successful.

We believe in the magic of diversity within teams and to achieve this, we do apply Employment Equity principles during our selection process where this is necessary to achieve such diversity.

Disclaimer:

Dear Applicant, we appreciate your interest in joining our organization. It is imperative for us that you understand how we handle your information. We are committed to ensuring the security and confidentiality of the information you provide. Your personal details will be collected for the sole purpose of the application process and will be used strictly for that purpose. By applying, you acknowledge and consent to the collection, use, and protection of your personal information in accordance with our privacy policy. If you have any inquiries or concerns, our Human Capital department is available to provide clarification. We look forward to reviewing your application