We are Kao, listed as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the last 20 years.
Our EMEA brand portfolio spans across three sectors; Consumer Care (John Frieda, Guhl, Bondi Sands, Bioré, Jergens, Curél), Professional Hair (Goldwell, Oribe, KMS Hair, Kerasilk), and Molton Brown.
Our corporate philosophy, The Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation, and treating each other with trust and respect.
About our role:
You will work closely with cross-functional teams in Consumer Care, including Sales, Marketing, Production, and wider Supply Chain to analyse historical data, assess market trends, and develop demand forecasts to support our sales and inventory management strategies.
What you will do:
- Own, develop and drive UK CC Demand Planning 12-month forecasts utilizing KAO forecasting system & tools (IBP/SAP/Power BI)
- To work with the CC Commercial teams regionally to gather all information regarding product demands for their customers is used to maximum effect in establishing an internal forecast that reflects actuals as closely as possible, e.g. promotion`s planning input, NPD volumes validation.
- To continuously improve forecasting accuracy by analysing the demands vs actual sales & proposing corrective actions for both products forecast and process optimization. To deliver monthly reports on forecast deviation and proposals on improvements on demand planning parameters to reach ultimately the best practice benchmark.
- Be the key demand planning contact for sales and marketing team for stock availability and allocation queries and any other ad-hoc support required. Work with them to maximize sales opportunities.
- To provide analysis of write-off risks and disposal costs for Finished Goods, Components & raw materials (with support from supply planners) to identify slow movers and enable short-term sales and marketing activities to minimize any financial risk.
- To organize and lead monthly S&OP/demand planning meetings with appropriate consensus from Cross Functional Teams.
- Joint responsibility with the Supply Planner(s) to ensure that inventory levels are optimized and maintained at the targeted levels.
What you will need:
- Degree educated or equivalent professional qualification preferred, but not essential.
- 3–5 years' experience in Demand Planning, Merchandising, or Supply Chain within the Beauty or FMCG sector.
- Solid understanding of demand planning principles, forecasting techniques, and statistical forecasting methodologies.
- Experience using SAP, Power BI, and demand planning/statistical forecasting tools is highly desirable.
- Advanced Excel skills, including Power Query, Power Pivot, Macros, and BI reporting.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to identify trends, generate insights, and support data-informed decision-making.
- Proven ability to build effective relationships and collaborate with commercial teams, supply chain functions, and external stakeholders.
Effective communication and stakeholder management skills, both written and verbal.
- Self-motivated, well-organised, and able to work independently while contributing positively within a team environment.
- Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced, evolving, multi-channel retail environment
At Kao, we believe the diversity of our teams strengthens our global mission. Here we trust and respect each other, collaborating in a friendly and inclusive work environment to achieve great results.
What you can expect from us:
- An entrepreneurial environment where passionate and innovative teams come together.
- Respect, teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of how we work.
- A workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, with opportunities to get involved in initiatives such as Mental Health First Aiders, our Charity Committee, and DE&I communities
- A broad range of benefits, including flexible working, competitive salaries, health and wellbeing offers, pension schemes, insurance options, and more…
- Learning and development opportunities
Your voice matters here, we value entrepreneurial thinking and innovation from our teams.
To find out why 33,000 people across the Globe work at Kao please visit:
https://candidate-brochure.kao.com/kao-emea/full-view.html
https://www.kao.com/emea/en/careers/
Discover careers at Kao and how we live our purpose, Kirei – Making Life Beautiful.
https://kao.voyse.io/
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