Durban: Sales and Operations Planner posted by Hire Resolve

About the Role

A leading food manufacturing company in Durban is urgently seeking an experienced Sales and Operations Planner to join their team. The successful incumbent will be responsible for implementing and executing defined best practices, supporting Master Planner, and collaborating with stakeholders to understand demand drivers.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement and execute defined best practices, minimum standards, policies, processes, tools, technology, and enablers in the relevant company ways.
• Support Master Planner to benchmark and improve in-Country demand management and supply planning (S&OP) systems, processes, and standards.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to understand demand drivers and input and manage key demand planning statistics.
• Develop and implement statistical and modelling tools to forecast demand, using statistical inputs and input from Commercial teams to test and refine forecasts (domestic and export).
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop recommendations and create a consensus demand plan, and prepare reports about the demand planning process.
• Implement defined strategies and processes to ensure demand planning results in minimum loss and optimized revenue, and enables the meeting of supply reliability targets.
• Participate in demand and supply reviews and provide effective input to support optimized demand and volume planning and support stock availability.
• Input demand forecast into broader S&OP process and translate into demand management strategies and plans.
• Develop and maintain a master production schedule and collaborate with Factory and Outbound Logistics to effectively collate and align the production process.
• Implement supply planning tools to translate demand plans into crush plans, distribution plans and resource plans as inputs into relevant business planning processes.
• Provide commercial advice on purchasing and supplies.
• Input and manage key supply planning statistics and provide feedback and recommendations.
• Develop and implement statistical and modelling tools to model and optimize the supply chain to mitigate constraints.
• Implement effective contract and supplier management by working with suppliers to deliver contracts OTIF and to ensure competitive pricing relative to local economic and operational conditions.
• Assist the S&OP Manager in planning, engaging, and managing contract packing/one-ton bags including coordinating invoices and work done.
• Manage SADC sugar and attend to quality complaints.
• Promote and adhere to the company’s procedures, policies, and guidelines, including, without limitation, those relating to SHERQ, Competition Law and Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC).

Key Requirements

• 3-year tertiary qualification in Supply Chain/Operations/Business field
• Lean/Six Sigma/Greenbelt qualification an advantage
• 5 years+ experience/exposure in Production/Manufacturing/Sales within an African environment preferably Food manufacturing or Agriculture based
• Production/Manufacturing knowledge; commercial and financial acumen; knowledge of relevant software (process and/or planning) management systems; proactive and a results-focus; ability to review, analyse and document business processes/information; conceptual ability to develop models, standards & tools; leadership
• A broad understanding of the business and full value chain; planning analysis, project management; understanding constraints, optimisation of the supply chain; interpersonal, influencing; ability to analyse information/market and economic information; the impact of external factors
• Above average proficiency in MS office, and proficiency in Qlik Sense, would be advantageous

Salary & Benefits

Salary: negotiable.