Demand Planner

Reckitt; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in hygiene and health solutions is seeking a Demand Planner to optimize their supply chain processes in Johannesburg. The successful candidate will leverage analytical skills to enhance demand forecasting while collaborating with cross-functional teams. This role offers opportunities for leadership, impactful projects, and involvement in driving continuous improvements in planning and logistics.

Benefits

Parental leave

Mental health programs

Life insurance

Global share plans

Performance incentives

Qualifications

• Experience in demand/supply planning, inventory management, logistics, or IBP.
• Customer-centric with a strong service mindset.
• Proficient in English.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate demand forecasts to support sales and inventory management.
• Generate reports on forecast accuracy and SKU volumes for finance.
• Lead meetings with the commercial team to produce unbiased forecasts.

Skills

Supply Chain Management

Collaboration

Analytical Skills

Problem-Solving

Data Analytics

Education

University degree in Supply Chain or related field

Tools

SAP ECC

Kinaxis

MS Office (Excel)

Job description

We are Reckitt, home to the world's best-loved and trusted hygiene, health, and nutrition brands. Our purpose is to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. Join our global team united by this purpose, and help make access to high-quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment a right, not a privilege.

Our supply chain is the backbone of our business, ensuring our trusted products reach people worldwide safely and efficiently. We offer exciting opportunities across all areas of supply chain management, including planning, procurement, manufacturing, and logistics. You might join our Global Supply Planning team to develop and implement our supply strategy, work with our Procurement Centre of Excellence to manage supplier relationships, or help improve manufacturing and distribution processes.

About the role

As a Demand Planner at Reckitt, you will apply your analytical skills to support our supply chain, ensuring our products meet and exceed customer expectations. Your role is vital in delivering our consumer products smoothly, with opportunities to lead impactful projects that enhance our processes and efficiency.

You will be responsible for maintaining accurate demand forecasts to support sales, inventory management, and production planning, including SKU forecasts for third-party purchasing.

Key responsibilities

1. Build strong, productive relationships within the team and with stakeholders.
2. Utilize planning systems and leverage technology effectively.
3. Apply strong numerical and problem-solving skills.
4. Continuously learn and grow within supply chain planning and logistics.
5. Engage in analytics and data-driven decision-making.
6. Create forecasts based on historical trends, promotional activities, and commercial input.
7. Analyze stock on hand, sell-out data, and promotional activities, inputting insights into the IBP process.
8. Lead meetings with the commercial team to produce unbiased forecasts, identify gaps, and communicate risks.
9. Enhance the IBP process through continuous review and best practices.
10. Challenge forecasts when necessary using trend analysis, MAPE, BIAS, and promotional data.
11. Communicate forecasts to sourcing and planning teams via Kinaxis and other tools.
12. Plan product replenishment to maintain service levels and manage inventory within budgets.
13. Generate and publish reports on forecast accuracy, IBP gaps, and SKU volumes for finance.
14. Communicate business updates early to enable timely action.
15. Coordinate with sources to ensure optimal production levels.
16. Maintain inventory controls and minimize waste during relaunches or promotions.

Required experience

1. Strong relationship-building skills.
2. University degree in Supply Chain or related field.
3. Experience with SAP ECC, Kinaxis, JD Edwards, MS Office, especially Excel.
4. Customer-centric with a strong service mindset.
5. Experience in demand/supply planning, inventory management, logistics, or IBP.
6. Analytical and fact-based decision-making skills.
7. Ability to work independently, challenge the status quo, and seek improvements.
8. Leadership and teamwork abilities in a cross-functional environment.
9. Motivated and proactive, acting as a change catalyst.
10. Understanding of FMCG industry and business.
11. Proficient in English.
12. Interest in analytics and data-driven decisions.

Skills for success

Supply Chain Management, Business Partnership, Collaboration, Relationship Management, Business Acumen, Productivity Management, Business Process Improvement, Advanced Analytics, Data Analytics, Supply Chain Planning, Logistics Management.

What we offer

We prioritize inclusion and support our employees through various benefits, including parental leave, mental health programs, life insurance, global share plans, and performance incentives. We believe in hiring potential and experience equally, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of protected characteristics.