Planning Excellence Lead

Site Name: UK – London – New Oxford Street; Aranda, Belgium-Wavre; Poznan Grunwaldzka Posted Date: Dec 5 2025 Position Summary We are looking for an experienced Director in Supply Chain Planning Excellence to be accountable for end to end planning execution and deliver measurable business results, including a high quality, auditable annual budget plan aligned to demand, manufacturing and inventory targets. The role will lead improvements in planning processes, tools and ways of working in collaboration with Global Process Owners and Capability Leads to enable faster, more confident decision making and resilient supply chain outcomes. Working across demand, manufacturing and inventory topics as priorities evolve, the Director will focus on embedding planning best practice, strengthening performance management, and enabling effective use of analytics and automation. Responsibilities Own and deliver key planning processes such as the annual budget process, accountable for a high-quality, complete and auditable budget plan that balances demand, manufacturing and inventory requirements and meets agreed financial and operational targets. Develop and optimize planning processes and cadences to improve readiness, responsiveness and decision support, using process design, automation and analytics where appropriate. Design and support cross-functional programs that improve inventory outcomes, working capital efficiency and service performance, with clear objectives and measurable indicators. Establish and sustain a performance management framework (metrics, SLAs, reporting cadence and governance) to increase transparency, accountability and continuous improvement across planning teams. Collaborate with IT, Data & Analytics, Transformation, Global Process Owners and Capability Leads to simplify the systems and data landscape, support robust dataflows and deliver fit for purpose tools and dashboards. Translate complex planning concepts into clear, actionable messages for different audiences (operational teams, senior leaders, Finance, Commercial) and support stakeholder engagement. Lead change management and capability uplift in partnership with Global Process Owners and Capability Leads through coaching, training and practical support to drive adoption of new ways of working and technologies. Qualifications Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Finance, Data Science or related field; advanced degree or relevant certification a plus. Extensive experience in supply chain planning, inventory optimization, demand & supply balancing and/or integrated business planning within a large, complex, multi site organisation. Proven track record of leading large cross functional programs and operating model transformations (including continuous improvement ideally within the pharmaceutical or highly regulated industries). Practical experience implementing analytics, automation and AI in planning processes; able to translate data science into business value and explain outputs to non technical stakeholders. Exceptional communication skills — able to simplify complexity, build alignment and influence stakeholders from shop floor planners to senior executives. Strong project/program management skills, including governance, stakeholder engagement and benefit tracking. Hands on curiosity and intellectual rigour with the ability to dive into data, challenge assumptions and design pragmatic solutions. Comfort working with multiple planning systems and enterprise ERPs, and experience in systems rationalisation or implementation projects. Preferred Qualifications Strategic thinker with bias for action and deliverable orientation. Collaborative and stakeholder centric; builds trust quickly. Resilient and adaptable in ambiguous environments. Coaching mindset; promotes learning and continuous improvement. Data driven decision maker with strong business judgement. Work Location This role is based in the United Kingdom (GSK HQ, London) or Wavre, Belgium, Aranda, Spain or Poznan, Poland and offers a hybrid working model, combining on-site and remote work. Closing Date for Applications 19th December 2025 Equal Opportunity Employer GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law. Accessibility and Adjustments Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities please contact us on UKRecruitment.Adjustments@gsk.com or 0808 234 4391. The helpline is available from 8.30am to 12.00 noon Monday to Friday, during bank holidays these times and days may vary. #J-18808-Ljbffr