Demand Planning Assistant Manager

About ekaterra:
Unilever is proud of its tea business, the biggest in the world, with world class purpose driven brands such as Lipton, PG tips and Pukka. Recently, Unilever decided to separate the Tea business to ensure it can best achieve its potential and renamed it to ekaterra to facilitate its separation to a standalone entity. eka stands for unity and one purpose while terra stands for earth and nature. As ekaterra we are united in one purpose: growing a world of wellbeing through the regenerative power of plants.

Unilever is reviewing several options for separation, including a demerger, an initial public offering, a disposal or through partnership models. Unilever will retain the tea businesses in India, Nepal and Indonesia, and the partnership interests in the ready-to-drink Tea joint ventures.

Present in more than 100 countries, ekaterra generated revenues of €2 billion in 2019. With 13 production factories in 4 continents and tea growing estates in 3 countries, ekaterra is a profitable and growing business offering a world of wellbeing with the regenerative power of plants to hundreds of millions of consumers. As a standalone entity, ekaterra is even better positioned to lead the industry with dedicated focus driving greater growth and value.

Combining the strength and scale of its global iconic brands with speed and agility, ekaterra is brewing a ‘corporate start-up’ mindset that’s opening up new opportunities to flourish every day - both for its business and its people.

At ekaterra, we work alongside people who put consumer love at the heart of every decision. Diverse minds who celebrate new ideas, share our values and the commitment we have for the wellbeing of all. In return, we create an environment that gives our people space and freedom, where they can grow as leaders. A connected community where ideas can thrive. Where you explore new challenges. Learning all you need to master your field, and even more about yourself.

Be part of this amazing blend. Join our collective and help us grow a better world of wellbeing and a better you.

The qualities we look for in you:
ekaterra is made up of a special blend of individuals which make our teams exciting and diverse. To be part of our blend we are looking for individuals who think Green and are environmentally conscious, who understand the power of simplicity and who are accountable for their actions. We want those who infuse mastery and passion in everything they do to create great products and unforgettable experiences for our consumers.

What's in it for you?

We believe that growth is for everyone, we believe in growing leaders and making space to grow an owner’s mentality and like nature we adapt, we change, and we grow. We believe in connections over hierarchies and (work)levels. We have a 'corporate start-up' approach; we act with speed and agility, and we have the strength and scale of a large corporation. We are building a better world of wellbeing and a better you.

Background & Purpose of the Job

The Demand Planning Assistant Manager will lead a team of Demand Planners responsible for the development of the 12-24 month rolling sales forecast for their category’s portfolio. This individual will provide guidance and support to several cross-functional teams through the monthly S&OP cycle with the objective of creating a realistic forecast and documenting any risks and opportunities. Communication of volume changes and main drivers throughout the E2E supply chain is also a critical element of the role. The Assistant DP Manager will drive the implementation of new SO&P tools, processes, and reports in partnership with Demand Planning Excellence to ensure ongoing continuous improvement.

The Demand Planning Assistant Manager will also lead Promotion Planner responsible for development and tracking execution of the promotions of the category from our factories and logistics teams. This individual will also play a critical role in identifying business risks and leading crisis management when necessary and ensuring the appropriate business tradeoffs are evaluated and plans are developed to protect business priorities and accelerate recovery.

This position is key to achieving category KPI targets in many areas
- forecast bias/accuracy, customer service, working capital, business waste and overall cost. The Demand Planning Assistant Manager will act as a key business partner in monthly S&OP processes that are executed in close cooperation with Marketing, Sales, Finance and Category Management.

Your Key Tasks:
1. Demand Planning Process:

- Own the forecast in any of the S&OP meetings (monthly cycle) and in the weekly operational meetings
- Build the activities (that are over and above the baselines) provided by the Sales & Marketing teams
- Maintain an assumptions tracker that would be used to evaluate the performance of the activity and challenge volumes going forward
- Present the exceptions in the activity meeting and fac