Supply Network Planner at Unilever

Job description
Main Job Purpose

This Category Strategic planning and Innovation role is considered a challenging role for a senior, skilled and ambitious Supply Chain professional reporting to the Strategic Sourcing and Innovation Manager. The role requires exceptional communication skills, good financial acumen and strong category supply chain knowledge, analysis.

Job Summary

• Network ownership and development (Innovation, Sourcing establishment or Routing Changes)
• Develop the network for Innovation and/or the sourcing setup or change.
• Understand and lock capacity and sourcing strategy for the innovation. Secure innovation capability; support Capital Expenditure request process for innovations with the Category Technology Manager and Strategic Planning Manager. Ensure Capex requirements have been shared by Tech manager for use in the Business case
• Owns and updates innovation project networks
• Owns Supply Chain input into a project network, and will ensure updates from Supply Planner, Demand Planner, and Factory Scheduler are factored into networks.
• Innovation sourcing lock via Strategic Planner who will provide Business case input on Sourcing
• Will ensure quality innovations by including Technical Risk assessment task in network, and that follow up Risk Assessment is done if needed

• Capacity
• Inputs into Long Term Capacity and via the demand supply reconciliation process for Africa cluster using demand input from the brand team (24months +)
• Understands via the demand supply reconciliation and CPT’s the areas where additional capacity is required/there is excess capacity and supports these by strategically importing/exporting as required
• Supports the Strategic Project Planner in the need for incremental 3P capacity, UL capacity import capacity & actions to appropriate organisation.
• Identifying and securing sufficient, suitable and efficient supply options either local, import or third party for Africa Innovation projects.
• Conducts industrial strategy reviews to identify potential debottlenecking opportunities as well as investment requirements linked to ongoing capacity requirements.

• Smart Savings
• Smart sourcing - Sourcing Network Optimization
• Execute (and input into) sourcing strategy as determined by the Category SC team. Owner of sourcing strategies for the product group.
• Drives mid to long term (12-24 months) planning process improvements and optimization of Supply Chain cost.
• Develop capacity and constraint models for supply networks and use optimization and simulation techniques to improve existing network performance in addition to recommending and driving design changes.
• Execute sourcing strategy as determined by the Category SC team as well as proposes changes to existing sourcing routes that will drive business value and GM improvements.

• Resilience
• Drives the Finished goods resilience agenda for the category across Africa.
• Coordinates the ongoing resilience workstreams required for business continuity and keeps these refreshed and updated.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Completed University Degree
• 3-6 Years’ in Supply Chain Operations or Business Analyst role
• Experience in FMCG Supply Chain (Procurement, Planning, Customer Service, Logistics)
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to conduct cost/ benefit analysis
• Business case development
• Modelling techniques and methods

Location

South Africa-KwaZulu-Natal-Durban-Unilever La Lucia Ridge Office