About this role
Position Purpose
- Own the market demand forecast and coordinate a clear, fact-based consensus demand plan.
- Integrate statistical forecasts with commercial, customer, innovation and market inputs.
- Improve forecast accuracy, identify risks and opportunities, and provide timely demand insights for supply and business decisions.
Key Accountabilities & Performance Indicators
1. Demand Forecasting
- Maintain rolling forecast by market, customer/channel and SKU, using the statistical forecast as the starting point.
- Apply appropriate methods for base demand, seasonality, promotions, launches and product lifecycle changes.
- Document key assumptions and reasons for material forecast changes.
2. Consensus Planning
- Lead the market demand review with Commercial, Marketing, Finance and Innovation stakeholders.
- Challenge and track commercial overrides, ensuring they are evidence-based and attributable.
- Align and obtain market sign-off before regional forecast review; escalate material gaps or changes.
3. Market and Innovation Inputs
- Incorporate customer, channel, order, tender, promotion and market intelligence into the forecast.
- Build and update launch, relaunch and discontinuation forecasts with Innovation leads.
- Review NPD actual performance and apply learning to future forecasts.
4. Risks, Scenarios and Performance
- Maintain demand risks and opportunities, including timing, impact, triggers and owners.
- Prepare base, upside and downside scenarios for material uncertainties.
- Investigate significant forecast misses, quantify business impact where possible and track corrective actions.
Key Working Relationships
Internal
- Market Commercial and Marketing team; Innovation leads; Commercial Finance; Regional Statistical Forecast Analyst; Regional Supply Chain Managers; Group Supply Planners.
External
- Distributors, customers, commercial partners and data providers, where relevant.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering, Statistics or a related discipline.
- Minimum 3 years of demand planning, supply chain planning, S&OP/IBP or similar analytical experience; pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare or FMCG experience is advantageous.
- Knowledge of statistical forecasting, forecast accuracy, bias, trend, seasonality and product segmentation.
- Experience with ERP or planning systems such as SAP or SAP IBP, advanced Excel and data visualisation tools.
- Strong analytical, facilitation, communication and stakeholder-influencing skills.
- Ability to translate data into clear business insights and constructively challenge assumptions.
Personal Attributes
- Commercially curious, analytical and evidence-led.
- Collaborative, confident and constructive in challenging assumptions.
- Proactive, organised and accountable for data quality and deadlines.
- Adaptable and comfortable working with uncertainty and changing priorities.
- Clear communicator with a continuous-improvement mindset.