Supply Planner

Job Summary

• The Supply Planner is responsible for ensuring the continuous availability of raw materials and finished products across both local and export markets, while actively managing inventory health and supporting new product introductions.
• Operating in a fast-paced, Excel-driven environment, the role demands strong analytical discipline, proactive risk identification, and structured communication with commercial and operations stakeholders.
• The successful candidate will own a defined portfolio of SKUs for both local and export markets, maintain planning rigour across the full replenishment cycle, and contribute meaningfully to working capital improvement and supply risk reduction

Principal Accountabilities
Supply Planning & Inventory Management:

• Maintains stock cover, safety stock levels and replenishment schedules for a defined portfolio of raw materials and finished products for the Nigeria market.
• Develop and drive execution of supply plans for locally produced finished products and leads weekly production planning discussions.
• Leads end-to-end intercompany replenishments from providing visibility via purchase forecasts, to firming orders with production planners in line with agreed lead time and demand signals to ensuring timely delivery of shipments to warehouses through careful coordination with the imports team.
• Manage import planning cycles (intercompany raw materials and imported finished products), tracking shipment ETAs and flagging deviations proactively.
• Ensure zero out-of-stock events, especially for Class A & B finished product items and all directly managed raw materials

Export Supply Compliance:

• Coordinate export supply requirements in line with the aligned out from the Supply Review Meeting (SRM) and ensure compliance.
• Plan and confirm stuffing schedules for export requirements with the Customer Excellence and Logistics team, and drive zero missed vessel schedules.
• Proactively communicate shortfalls and supply risks to the export market representatives.

SLOB and Working Capital Management:

• Proactively identify SKUs at risk of entering SLOB status and escalate recommended actions to prevent it.
• Drive reduction of current finished goods SLOB profile through coordination with commercial stakeholders.
• Track and report slow-moving and SLOB stock position.
• Drive container optimization for intercompany orders to manage landed costs.

New Product Launch Support:

• Coordinate feedstock availability for all new product launches; ensure availability no less than 90 days before planned production/launch.
• Proactively communicate flags and risks for new product launches.
• Maintain a launch planning tracker and participate in cross-functional pre-launch readiness reviews

Reporting and Stakeholder Communication:

• Publish month-end supply reports (SLOB, Days of Cover, Supply Risk (within 2 working days of month close, maintaining a consistent standard.
• Communicate OOS risk to commercial and demand planning stakeholders no less than 90 days for forecast review and/or commercial replanning.

Continuous Improvement:

• Sustain and iteratively improve personal planning workflow and Excel-based tools to increase planning accuracy; proactively identify and document emerging supply risks on a structured basis to reduce reactive escalations.

Requirements
Essential:

• 3–6 years of hands-on experience in supply planning, materials planning, or inventory management within an FMCG, manufacturing, or services environment.
• Demonstrable proficiency in Excel-based planning (advanced formulas, structured tracking tools, scenario modelling).
• Proven experience managing replenishment cycles for both local and import/export supply chains.
• Strong numerical literacy and comfort working with large, complex data sets to derive planning decisions.
• Experience producing and presenting structured supply or inventory reports to management or cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, managing multiple priorities simultaneously.

Desirable:

• Exposure to ERP systems (JDE, SAP, Oracle, or equivalent) in a planning or inventory role.
• Familiarity with S&OP/IBP ideologies.
• Experience in working capital management, SLOB reduction programmes, or inventory optimisation projects.
• Understanding of international supply chain coordination.

Key Competencies:

• Analytical Rigour: makes decisions based on structured data; maintains accurate, reliable planning records.
• Structured Communication: produces clear, concise written reports and verbal updates to stakeholders at all levels.
• Collaboration: works effectively with production, commercial, logistics, warehousing and finance teams despite limited cross-functional authority.
• Proactive Risk Management: identifies supply risks early and communicates them with enough lead time to act.
• Ownership & Accountability takes end-to-end responsibility for their portfolio without needing to be prompted.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: consistently looks for ways to reduce manual effort and improve planning quality.