Account Planner

Job description

  Location
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
·  Salary
£30,000.00/Year
·  Category
Procurement & Supply Chain - Planning & Inventory
·  Job type
Temporary
·  Industry
Procurement and Supply Chain
·  External Reference
AP2345

An exciting position for an experienced and proactive Account Planner has arisen for my client, a large global FMCG organisation within their dynamic Team in Waltham on the Wolds. Driving forward the success of globally admired brands is a major deal for a £24billion company which produces several iconic brands across the globe. They have an enviable reputation for quality people, for innovative brands and for keeping them right at the cutting edge. This role is for a minimum of 6 months and starts immediately via Adecco. The role is full time. Due to the location of the business, own transportation is required.

Job Purpose/Overview

Working closely with the account teams, driving collaboration with the customers and managing the relationship around forecasting.
To produce a volume and value demand forecast for specific customers within the UK Market in order to drive production planning, scheduling and material requirements planning processes within the supply chain to support the S&OP+ and to provide the basis for the NSV forecast.

Principal Accountabilities:

*Create an assumption based forecast for submission to supply on a weekly basis. Optimise the statistically generated base volume in Apollo utilising market and category information, historic activity performance data and assumption based steal considerations.
*Build the account level activities, including trade spend, in Compass based on the account promotional plan created by sales.
*Reconcile volume and value to ensure that the forecasted NSV output is robust and reliable enough upon which to make management decisions on resource allocations to close gaps to plan and to leverage opportunities.
*Drive forecast accuracy and bias improvements for accounts to agreed targets by reviewing forecast assumptions vs. performance. Contribute key information that enables decision making within the S&OP+ process including risks and opportunities and process KPI's over a 0-18 month horizon.
*Become an account volume/value specialist, liaising with internal account teams and supporting functions, the relationships with customer contacts built through collaboration and our knowledge of the E2E supply Chain and systems.

Job Content

This is an Account facing position that has a critical operational and strategic role in the business. Consequently the jobholder is required to have a broad understanding of market dynamics and supply capability. Working closely with Customer Development and Account teams, the jobholder is responsible for constructing and managing a robust and assumptions based volume/value business forecast. This forecast input is fundamental to driving the S&OP+ process.

The jobholder uses knowledge, experience, Sales history, input from National Account teams, Market and Category data, Sales systems data, customer collaboration and input on upcoming market plans to create an account forecast at item level. Activity performance should be reviewed on an ongoing basis and any risks to the forecast highlighted.

Wherever appropriate, effective contacts should be established with the customer to ensure that any opportunities to drive a collaborative relationship are realised. The benefits of developing a good relationship will lead to improved Account intelligence and excellent information flows. In addition, it is essential to develop a close relationship with the Supply Chain Development and Supply Chain Executive contacts to ensure that there is an aligned the Client strategy for each particular Account.

The jobholder will be required to:-
-Manage events whilst they are in-store, reviewing stocks, and EPOS data using account data, and through liaising with account contacts, driving a 30/60/90 process.
-Through event reviews amend the assumptions and future forecast accordingly.
-Align on assumptions and sign-off the forecast with the account manager prior to periodic S&OP+ submission.
-Instigate any learnings around WOW, ordering patterns, and the collation of event history with the account teams.
-Provide forecast information to Customer Service ensuring that activities are managed effectively
-Provide information on likely supply issues / significant problems which will impact on the forecast, as well as managing any changes to the plan, based on new information from the account
-Forecast the short and medium term planning horizon for both volume and spend, (0-24 months)
The KPIs underpinning this role are forecast accuracy and bias.

Job Specifications/Qualifications

*Be highly numerate with strong analytical skills - able to create and evaluate data in spreadsheet format.
*Strong judgement with an ability to take a top down, as well as a bottom up, view to identify risks and opportunities for brand shape and volume/value performance.
*Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Clear thinker, good communicator and needs to have a structured and pro-active style of working - able to prioritise and multitask
*Strong commercial awareness and understanding of Supply Chain principles.

Adecco is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. The Adecco Group UK & Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.