Group Demand Manager

Ceramic Industries; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading ceramics manufacturer in South Africa is seeking a Group Demand Planner. This role will develop and maintain a robust demand planning process across multiple factories, ensuring accurate forecasting and optimized inventory management. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in supply chain management and at least 5 years of experience in demand planning or related fields, along with strong analytical skills and proficiency in ERP systems. Join a dynamic team to enhance operational efficiency and service levels.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in demand planning or supply chain coordination.
• Strong understanding of production planning and inventory management principles.
• Experience in S&OP and analytics tools is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for developing demand planning processes across 7 factories.
• Ensure accurate forecasting and optimized service levels.
• Lead the monthly Sales & Operations Planning process.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving ability

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Strategic thinking

Resilience under pressure

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain management or related field

Tools

Excel

ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Syspro)

Job description

Introduction

Purpose of the Role: The Group Demand Planner will be responsible for developing and maintaining a robust, data-driven demand planning process across all 7 factories within the Ceramic Industries Group.

The role ensures accurate forecasting, balanced inventory, and optimized service levels to the market, enabling coordinated production planning and improved responsiveness across business units. This role acts as a central link between Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain, ensuring that customer demand is effectively translated into actionable production and distribution plans.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. Demand Planning & Forecasting
   • Consolidate and analyse sales forecasts from factories, geographic regions, sales and key customers.
   • Develop and maintain group-level demand forecasts using statistical models, market trends, and customer insights.
   • Manage the VMI / EDI data systems for continuous supply of products to strategic customer groups.
   • Lead the monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process to align forecast, production, and inventory plans.
   • Identify and report forecast bias, accuracy, and trends to continuously improve planning accuracy.
2. Cross-Factory Coordination
   • Facilitate collaboration between the group's tile & sanitaryware factories to ensure efficient stock allocation, minimize duplication, and optimize product mix.
   • Highlight capacity constraints and recommend production rebalancing between sites.
3. Market Alignment & Service Level Improvement
   • Work closely with Sales and Marketing to integrate promotional activities, new product introductions, and customer feedback into forecasts.
   • Track and report service levels (OTIF), stock availability, and backorder trends across factories.
   • Recommend proactive measures to reduce stock-outs and excess inventory.
4. Data Analysis & Systems
   • Maintain and improve demand planning tools and systems (ERP, BI dashboards, etc.).
   • Analyse sales data, market performance, and customer trends to support strategic decision-making.
   • Generate and distribute regular reports on forecast accuracy, inventory performance, and service metrics.
5. Stakeholder Engagement
   • Liaise with factory planning teams, logistics, procurement, and sales teams to ensure alignment on group demand priorities.
   • Present demand insights and risks to the Group Executive Committee and relevant management forums.
   • Drive accountability and discipline within the demand planning process across all business units.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Forecast accuracy (% deviation vs actual sales)
• Service level achievement (% OTIF)
• Inventory turnover ratio
• Stock availability and obsolescence levels
• S&OP compliance and on-time reporting

Desired Experience & Qualification

Competencies & Attributes

• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• High attention to detail with the ability to manage complexity
• Proactive and strategic thinker
• Resilient under pressure, with the ability to manage multiple priorities

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Industrial Engineering, Business, or related field
• Minimum 5 years' experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain coordination (manufacturing or FMCG preferred)
• Strong understanding of production planning and inventory management principles
• Advanced Excel and ERP system proficiency (e.g., SAP, Syspro, or similar)
• Experience in S&OP and data analytics tools advantageous

Interested?