Market Collaboration Planner

Location: Brussels City Dox  

Local conditions apply 

For the recruitment of this position, we would like to emphasize that local conditions apply to the position and for this vacancy in principle we will consider candidates based in the set locations. If you are based outside of these locations and you are interested to apply, please feel free to do so but at this stage we will not take your application forward. We will only consider your application if a decision is made to also recruit outside of the set locations.

ABOUT UNILEVER

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

About Benelux Customer Operations

The Customer Operations Benelux team consist of various roles and teams that make Excellent Execution a success. The Customer Operations teams focus on less time spent on ‘Running the Business’ to reinvest in ‘Growing the Business’ whilst improving Customer and Employee Satisfaction. Operations brings Sales, Supply Chain and Marketing within Unilever Benelux together in realizing excellent execution. The 4 principles driving Customer Operations are: end 2 end ownership, maximized automation, one version of the truth and continuous improvement. Team members within Customer Operations embrace the vision and their daily work practice reflects the 4 principles of Operations. Operations effectively works in a cross-country setting, embracing cultural diversity and working in virtual teams.

Competencies key to make Customer Operations a success, are:

• Practical creativity

• Enterprising behavior

• Ability to learn

JOB PURPOSE

Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world.  If you are a person that wants to deliver key insights that will be the base for business decision making then this role is just for you!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Gather business insights and help translating them into demand drivers for forecast modelling, aiming to improve the quality

• Support the business discussions with deep understanding of the market (i.e. managing key events and seasons)

• Managing appropriate stock levels, driven by forecast uncertainty insight (event mgt, season mgt, Assumptions risk and opportunity planning). 

• Ensure updated and agreed volume forecast are submitted and aligned with financial forecasting

• Monitor and evaluate the building blocks in forecast.

• Support the portfolio management, segmentation, switch & innovation management and delist.

• Drive the Demand/Supply reconciliation long-term, address possible product availability constraints and propose mitigation plans.

• Support key business decisions by preparing trade off decisions between service, business waste and inventory

• Steer the category demand planner (CDP) on forecast reviews and priorities

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Drive the service performance to the agreed service targets 

• Accountable for accurate switch management, innovation management and delists. Agree on timings and proper obsoletes management (zero waste ambition) by translating all relevant information into scenarios for business decision making.

• Translate the innovation forecast for the full horizon (5-18 months) into our planning systems. This in cooperation with the Business team (volume and risk & opportunities)

• Securing always up to date most likely volume  forecast, that serves as input for supply as well as input for and aligned with value forecast

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Closely collaborate with the category demand planner (CDP) and response planner (RP) to succefully drive the portfolio in line with the KPI’s

• Identifies the key trade-offs in running operation, events, and product launches and proposes options to the planning manager and the Category Business lead (trade off cost/ cash/ service) 

• Ensure systematic collection of inputs and activities to complete forecast

• Leading S&OP and partnering business

• Understand and explain the composition of the forecast, incl monitor and evaluate building blocks 

• Identification of Gaps/Opportunities and related mitigations

• Understand the dynamics of the business in order to communicate and distribute the correct information to the business (Develop a high degree of business sense).

• Work with Finance business partner to ensure value FC is reflecting plans (VVD)

• Verify volume changes are in line with market intelligence and trends

• Innovation Forecasting – Validate launch volumes, reevaluating phasing and pipeline fill, and range forecasting

• Understand supply constraints on demand plan and build scenarios to allow for business trade-offs.

• Build and propose possible mitigation actions to secure service.

• Build accurate plans for switch management, launch management and delists.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• Education with relevant Master Degree (e.g. SC management, technical) 

• Minimum 3 years of relevant (FMCG) experience 

• Strong analytical capabilities, ability to work with big portfolio’s, building on modelling skills, and profound system thinking, 

• Operational experience in and knowledge of the Supply Chain, preferably in a demand or supply planning environment

• Digital mindset & technology savvy (advanced excel skills, python, machine learning/artificial intelligence basic knowledge)

• Capability to resolve Strategic and Tactical planning challenges as well as day to day problems 

• Language: NL/BE: fluency in Dutch and/or French and proficient of English; 

• Other relevant experience such as factory, marketing or sales

Skills

• Stakeholder management

• Practical creativity: can-do mindset 

• Analytical ability 

• Entrepreneurial behavior

• Interpersonal skills: convincing, engaging, deal making, influencing skills 

• Effective communication skills on multiple levels

• Ability to learn

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.

• As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better.

WHAT DOES UNILEVER OFFER?

Unilever is the place where you can be yourself and bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world. We offer an exciting & dynamic work environment where you can make things happen. Furthermore, we offer some great reward and benefits!  

• Attractive total remuneration package; excellent company pension, bonus, share scheme. 

• Flexible cross-disciplinary career opportunities and a wealth of training opportunities & wellbeing resources whenever and wherever.  

• Plenty of company-paid holidays to further ensure your work-life balance is maintained.  

• Home work allowance  

• Company laptop and mobile phone 

• Mobility Budget