Senior Manager-Demand Planning (PSS07904)

About the Company

One of the largest pharmaceutical organizations in sub-Saharan Africa, the company has built a 40-year legacy of providing quality medicines to those who need them most. It manufactures and distributes branded prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical and consumer products across a wide range of therapeutic areas, including anti-malarial, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and nutrition. With a strong track record and trusted brands, the company is pursuing an ambitious 2030 vision to be the health champion of sub-Saharan Africa through its multi-continental Global Supply Organization.

Position Overview

The Senior Manager – Demand Planning leads the demand forecasting and planning function, ensuring optimal inventory availability across markets and alignment of supply, production, and distribution to minimize sales loss and improve service levels. Reporting to the Vice President - Supply Chain, this role plays a pivotal part in the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process through close coordination with market, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain sales forecasts based on historical trends, seasonality, tender pipelines, and market intelligence.
• Collaborate with country managers, distributors, and sales teams to capture demand changes and improve forecast accuracy.
• Review forecast performance regularly and implement corrective actions to enhance demand accuracy.
• Ensure adequate material availability across all markets in line with demand forecasts and stocking norms.
• Define and align stocking norms considering sales velocity, seasonality, safety stock, and replenishment lead times.
• Identify risks of stockouts or excess inventory and initiate timely mitigation actions.
• Generate monthly and quarterly replenishment plans aligning demand with production and procurement capabilities.
• Coordinate with manufacturing to translate demand plans into feasible production schedules and monitor execution.
• Track and report key indicators including sales loss due to stockouts, inventory coverage, forecast accuracy, and OTIF performance.
• Prepare inputs for monthly S&OP cycles and support cross-functional alignment between sales, supply chain, manufacturing, and finance.
• Highlight risks, opportunities, and action plans to balance demand and supply effectively.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Pharmacy, Business, Life Sciences, or relevant Humanities disciplines; Post Graduate Studies (PGP/MBA/PGDM) in Supply Chain or Operations preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 10+ years in demand planning or supply chain roles within the pharmaceutical industry; experience in African or ROW markets is an advantage.
• Leadership: Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and build trusted relationships with business leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of generic pharma supply chain and demand planning; proficiency in ERP systems (SAP preferred), MS Excel, analytical tools, Power BI, Tableau, and planning tools.
• Soft Skills: Strong analytical and forecasting skills, excellent coordination, stakeholder management, and cross-cultural collaboration capabilities.

Why Consider this Opportunity?

• Lead a critical function within a global supply organization driving demand accuracy and service excellence.
• Work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams across markets and manufacturing.
• Contribute to the company’s 2030 vision to be the health champion of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Leverage advanced planning tools and analytics to shape strategic supply chain decisions.
• Be part of a purpose-driven organization with a strong legacy and ambitious growth agenda.

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