Head of Demand Planning

Overview

What we do… At Valeo Foods Ireland, the heart of our business is tasty, nutritious Irish food and drinks with brands such as Jacobs, Odlums, Batchelors and many more. There are exceptional experience and expertise in manufacturing, innovation, food science, research and development, nutrition, distribution, sales, operations, marketing, finance and talent management. We are proud of our brands and the roles they play in Irish life.

What We Are Looking For

You are a strategic, results-driven leader with deep expertise in Sales & Operations Planning within a fast-paced FMCG environment. You bring strong cross-functional leadership, a collaborative mindset, and a proven ability to drive planning excellence, optimize supply chain performance, and deliver customer-focused outcomes. You thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about continuous improvement, data-driven decision-making, and building high-performing teams.

The Role

This role is pivotal in driving the next phase of Valeo Foods Ireland’s supply chain evolution. Following the recent implementation of new planning software the team and function are now established. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the Demand Planning team and function, while also leading the implementation of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) across the business ensuring a structured, sustainable, and cross-functional planning process.

What You Will Do

S&OP Leadership

- Lead the implementation of S&OP across cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment between supply chain, commercial, finance, and category functions.
- Lead the end-to-end planning cycle, ensuring alignment across Demand Planning, Supply & Production Planning, and Executive S&OP.
- Connect operational and financial forecasts to support decision-making and business performance.
- Foster cross-functional collaboration to align sales and operations, enhance customer-driven forecasting, and connect operational plans with financial objectives through continuous S&OP improvement.

Demand Planning & Forecasting

- Own and evolve the Demand Planning strategy, embedding best-in-class processes and tools.
- Manage and develop the Demand Planning team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
- Formalize and document existing demand planning processes to ensure consistency and reduce knowledge risk.
- Develop and execute a knowledge transfer plan to capture critical team expertise and ensure continuity.
- Maintain and enhance the 18-month rolling forecast in partnership with the commercial team, ensuring accuracy and responsiveness to market dynamics.
- Drive internal and external forecast review forums, ensuring robust dialogue and decision-making.
- Oversee the generation and analysis of demand planning reports, providing actionable insights to stakeholders.
- Present demand plans and forecasting insights to internal and external stakeholders, supporting strategic decision-making.

Leadership & Strategic Contribution

- Lead and develop a high-performing Demand Planning team, fostering accountability, growth, and excellence
- Collaborate closely with supply chain and cross-functional colleagues, providing support and expertise as needed.
- Own assigned reporting, delivering clear, actionable insights to senior leadership.
- Support peer managers, sharing expertise and driving cross-functional alignment.
- Contribute to department strategy, identifying opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Drive continuous improvement across supply chain tools, systems, and ways of working supporting the wider team’s goals

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Forecast Accuracy: Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy across categories and channels.
- Net Working Capital: Support inventory optimization and demand alignment to positively impact working capital.
- S&OP Maturity: Progression of S&OP implementation milestones across departments.
- Service Level Performance: Ensure demand plans support high service levels to customers.

Who you are

- Proven experience in demand planning and S&OP implementation within a fast-paced FMCG or similar environment.
- Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into strategic insights.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
- Experience working cross-functionally with commercial, finance, and supply chain teams.
- Comfortable working in a dynamic environment with evolving processes and systems.
- Strong focus on team development & process sustainability.

#J-18808-Ljbffr