The Supply Planning & DRP Lead is a critical individual contributor role responsible for ensuring that Promasidor's supply plans, production schedules, and distribution requirements are optimally aligned to meet customer service targets, minimise supply risk, and drive cost efficiency. The role sits at the intersection of demand, supply, and logistics translating the agreed S&OP volume plan into executable production and distribution plans across Promasidor's factory network and warehousing footprint.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Production Planning
Develop and maintain a rolling 13-week master production schedule (MPS) aligned to the agreed S&OP volume plan.
Translate unconstrained demand forecasts into constrained production plans, factoring in capacity, material availability, and inventory targets.
Coordinate with Factory Managers and Engineering teams to incorporate planned maintenance, OEE constraints, and changeover requirements into the production schedule.
Lead the weekly Supply Planning Meeting preparing the supply deck, facilitating the discussion, and driving decisions on supply gaps and trade-offs.
Monitor plan adherence (Production Conformance %) and escalate deviations with proposed corrective actions.
Manage short-term production trade-offs across SKUs and categories, prioritising based on customer service risk and margin impact.
Capacity Management
Maintain a dynamic capacity model (by line, by factory) covering a 12-month rolling horizon.
Identify capacity bottlenecks and surplus proactively, initiating investment cases or production-shift proposals as required.
Evaluate and recommend make-vs-buy or co-manufacturing options where in-house capacity is constrained.
Provide capacity inputs to the S&OP process for medium- and long-term investment decisions.
Collaborate with the Engineering team on OEE improvement initiatives and track the supply impact of capacity projects.
Flag capacity risks related to new product development (NPD), promotions, and seasonal demand peaks to the broader S&OP team.
Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP)
Own the Distribution Requirements Planning process ensuring optimal stock positioning across the depot network and external warehouses to meet OTIF targets.
Set and review stock norms (min/max/safety stock) for each distribution node based on demand variability, lead times, and service-level targets.
Coordinate finished goods deployment from factories/primary warehouses to secondary depots and 3PL sites.
Monitor and report on days cover, stock-in-trade levels, and depot inventory health across all locations.
Identify and drive resolution of distribution bottlenecks including logistics constraints, slow-moving stock (SLOB), and warehouse capacity issues.
Align distribution plans with the Sales and Commercial teams to support promotional activities, new listings, and key customer commitments.
S&OP Process Contribution
Prepare and present the Supply Planning pack for the monthly S&OP Supply Meeting and DSR (Demand Supply Reconciliation).
Ensure all supply-side inputs (constrained plan, capacity profile, supply risks and opportunities) are submitted to the S&OP Manager on time.
Support the identification of gap-closure options (supply pull-forward, inter-depot transfers, external procurement) for DSR and ExCo S&OP.
Maintain the integrity of supply-side assumptions within the S&OP planning tool or ERP.
5. Data, Systems & Continuous Improvement
Champion data quality and planning discipline within the supply planning team and across supply chain functions.
Lead or support WMS, ERP, and planning tool implementation/optimisation projects as required.
Develop and maintain standard planning templates, dashboards, and KPI reports for supply performance tracking.
Identify and implement process improvements to reduce planning cycle times, improve plan accuracy, and minimise waste.
Conduct root-cause analysis on supply failures and drive corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Experience
Minimum 2 - 4 years of progressive experience in supply planning, production planning, or DRP within an FMCG, manufacturing, or consumer goods environment.
Demonstrated experience managing multi-site or multi-SKU production schedules in a fast-paced environment.
Hands-on experience with DRP, safety stock modelling, and distribution network planning.
Active participation in S&OP processes ideally as a supply-side owner or lead.
Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or equivalent) and advanced planning tools is required.
Exposure to WMS implementation or optimisation projects is an advantage.