Demand & Portfolio Planning Manager

About the job

Job Purpose:

Our client is a well-established multinational manufacturing group with regional operations and a broad, SKU-driven product portfolio. Operating in a demand-led planning environment similar to FMCG and consumer goods organizations, the business requires strong leadership in demand planning and close cross-functional alignment to ensure commercial plans translate into executable supply outcomes.

This role leads demand and portfolio planning with a strong focus on post-launch performance management, acting as the key planning partner to Sales and Supply Chain. The position plays a critical leadership role in driving forecast discipline, aligning stakeholders, and enabling fact-based decision-making across the organization.

Role & Responsibilities

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary planning partner to Sales leadership, leading regular demand reviews and post-launch performance discussions.
• Challenge demand assumptions, align on corrective actions, and drive accountability through data and structured planning forums.
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment between Sales, Supply Chain, and other key stakeholders to ensure feasible and agreed demand plans.
• Represent demand planning in monthly planning and management review meetings, clearly articulating risks, gaps, and trade-offs.

Demand Planning & Execution

• Lead demand forecasting for assigned product portfolios, with particular focus on new product launches and post-market performance tracking.
• Translate sales plans, market signals, and customer insights into realistic demand forecasts and scenarios.
• Work closely with Supply Chain to align updated demand signals with capacity, production, and inventory positioning.
• Monitor demand volatility and inventory exposure, initiating timely adjustments to minimize excess and inefficiencies.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of demand planning analysts, setting clear priorities and ensuring disciplined execution.
• Drive continuous improvement in planning processes, data quality, and reporting within integrated planning cycles.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, or related fields; MBA is a plus.
• 6–8+ years of experience in demand planning or commercial planning roles within a multinational, SKU-based environment.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional discussions and influencing Sales and Supply Chain stakeholders.
• Strong analytical capability with hands-on exposure to BI tools (e.g. Power BI, SQL).
• Solid understanding of integrated planning / S&OP processes.
• Confident communicator with the ability to challenge and align senior stakeholders.
• Full professional proficiency in English.