Demand Planner

Valeo Snackfoods is the combination of Kettle Foods, Tangerine, Big Bear and Its All Good and is one of the UK’s top 100 grocery brands. It is headquartered in Norwich and Pontefract and employs around 2,000 people. Over the past few years, we have strengthened our portfolio to include the Metcalfe’s popcorn brand, Cornpoppers Popcorn factory in Wednesbury and Yellow Chips in Emmeloord, Netherlands. The business in the UK and Europe generates revenues of over £280 million.

Our brands include KETTLE® Chips, Metcalfe’s® popcorn, Foxes, Poppets, Barratt (Wham, Fruit Salads, Black Jacks, Refreshers, Sherbet fountain, Dip Dab)

Valeo Snackfoods prides itself on its passion for real, natural food and has a strong ethical approach to all its business activities. Having recently been acquired by Valeo Foods (Ireland), our promising future is also reinforced by a strong people and values led culture. Our vision right now is to grow the business by 50% in the next three to five years; both organically and through targeted acquisitions.

**Job Purpose**

Responsible for all forecasting activities associated with a defined set of customers and products. Create and maintain forecast models, management information and be the key liaison for customer supply chain, working closely with Commercial and SOP teams.

The Demand Planner leads the dialogue each month as part of the IBP cycle for their respective customers and products with key counterparts in Sales and Marketing and is accountable for the output of the Forecast Challenge stage of IBP.

The role is office based but will include time visiting customers in their premises.

**Key Accountabilities**
- Collaborate with Commercial to maintain timely and accurate 18 month rolling forecast at multiple levels of aggregation and time horizons as part of a demand planning function for your portfolio of SKUs and customers.
- Review historical sales trends, research demand drivers, prepare forecast data, develop statistical forecast models, and evaluate forecast results.
- In close co-operation with the Commercial teams, create, monitor and revise forecasts for all or part of the portfolio of Kettle ensuring accuracy measures are met and continuously improved.
- Establish close working relationships with key customers in order to improve forecasts and optimise inbound supply, including regular customer facing reviews. Maintain a collaborative approach to forecasting to maximise benefits for both parties.
- Actively participate in Integrated Business Planning meetings generating reports and providing demand projections for the horizon, analysed by working with Sales, Marketing and Finance.
- Ensure due diligence and rigour in IBP Forecast Challenge meetings.
- Analyse trends and promotional volumes to make adjustments and recommendations to cross functional groups where necessary.
- Maximise customer service level via effective liaison with the production planning team and monitoring of daily forecast/demand.
- Provide input to the Supply Planning organisation in developing inventory strategies on existing items, new product, and product phase-out.
- Maintain integrity demand planning systems and software.
- Prepare and maintain relevant reports and KPI’s pertaining to demand planning process.

**Key Measures**
- Demand Forecast Accuracy
- Customer Service Level
- Customer and external Benchmark Measures e.g. AGS

**Competencies (Levels 3 & 4)**
- Demonstrates Self Awareness: Using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses
- Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communication that convey a clear understanding of unique needs of different audiences
- Cultivates Innovation: Creating new and better ways for the organisation
- Develops Talent: Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organisation's goals
- Directs Work: Providing direction, delegating and removing obstacles to get work done

**HSE Responsibilities (Levels 3 & 4)**

Lead by example to set expectations, plan work to be carried out in a safe manner, take action to prevent risk of harm to their team. Challenge and address unsafe behaviour, be involved in testing emergency procedures, lead accident & incident investigations to establish root causes and preventative measures. Deliver safety briefings to your team so you are seen as the safety leader of your team. Make available team embers to support the company safety program.

**Qualifications/Experience**
- Work experience in supply chain planning environment
- Experience in FMCG supply
- Strong Analytical skills / numerate
- Ability to work with large amounts of complex data and analyse trends
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills - ability to communicate clearly in both written and verbal forms, influence and engage across global, cross-functional groups
- Broad knowledge of forecasting, product distribution, inventory control, manufact