Purpose and Relevance for the organization:

Your task as Senior Manager Demand Planning WHS is to lead, develop and guarantee the best possible performance of your team. In addition, you are responsible for the creation of the Wholesale Demand Plan for your respective Business Units. The Demand Plan is the basis for Purchasing and significantly influences the inventory management/stock turn and re-order availability. Therefore, it is also the foundation for reaching sales and inventory targets. Main KPI is the Demand Plan accuracy in consideration of availability and inventory levels.

Key Responsibilities:

Personnel management of direct reports

• Establish a high-performance culture via the communication of clear expectations and targets
• Develop the functional and social competencies
• Evaluate the performance and competencies within the given MyBest appraisal framework
• Introduce a feedback culture and ensure as well that the adidas Values & Behaviors are understood and followed throughout the department
• Manage talents within your team to develop their competencies and managing skills to grow
• Responsible for a frictionless collaboration within the team and all other key contacts
• Adhere to the responsibility towards the employee (e.g. Online Time, etc.)
• Ensure the adherence to all employee-relevant adidas guidelines and all legal obligations

Ranging & BU strategy

• Ensure volume alignment between IBP and Operational Planning on category level and understand its drivers
• Lead and drive DP projects and processes to support strategic initiatives 
• Provide analysis for Business Units to enable fact-based decision making for future strategy
• Be the main contact for your Business Units for day-to-day business/operations
• Support and consult the Business Units throughout the range creation and identify R&O based on analysis of the current business development
• Lead/support BU projects
• Coordinate and steer BU allocation strategy across channel to support lifecycle-management and the management of production/material constrains
• Coordinate the launch process for WHS

Demand Planning

• Steer and control the WHS RDP in close cooperation with the Director Demand Planning WHS
• Optimize existing planning processes and strive for efficiency

• Responsible for creating and updating the Rolling Demand Plan (RDP) for defined Business Segments on article and size level for Wholesale
  • Forecast extrapolation 
  • Create analyses and statistics
  • Ensure pre-order business
  • Balance the product availability for the re-order period
  • Monthly distribution of the RDP reflecting market demand
  • Create and update size curves
• Observance of local and global timelines and deadlines
• Liaise with cross-function departments on time (Marketing, Sales, Purchasing)
• Observe markets regarding changes and risk & opportunities
• Support DP & SCM Purchasing alignment

KPIs:

• Demand Plan accuracy
• Demand Plan reliability
• Inventory management/stock turn
• Optimization/reduction of excess stock
• Availability

Key Contacts:

• Europe & Global BU Teams  
• Europe & Global SCM
• Europe Sales
• Europe Finance

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to manage complex situations and challenges
• Proven managerial skills
• Very good communication skills
• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking
• Good project management skills
• Very good analytical skills
• Excellent numerical skills
• Advanced SAP knowledge (SCM & AFS)
• Advanced MS Excel skills
• Very good knowledge of MS Office (Ppt., Word)
• Fluent in English and another European language in writing and speaking

Educational Background/ Minimum requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5-7 years of work experience in demand planning or a similar field
• 1-3 years’ management experience
• Experience in the sporting goods industry preferred