Partner in Pet Food (PPF) is an innovative, leading European pet food producer, supplying over 600 customers, including major grocery retailers, supermarkets, specialized pet shops in the 40 markets in which it operates. PPF is the second largest producer of Retailer Brand wet and dry pet food in Europe, offering a full range of high quality cat and dog food products. PPF is headquartered in Hungary, employs around 3000 staff and has operations in 10 countries.
We are looking for a Category Supply Planner colleague, who would like to be a part of our family-like international team
You will be responsible for
People & Collaboration
• Support the category planning team and lead your business area, drive task from production planning to category planning (end-to-end view of all supply chain elements affecting service level, category supply network optimisation).
• Further establish a well working collaboration with all supplying plants within this category, understanding plant output (demonstrated/projected) and manage related issues. Build category supply networks for the different product categories, drive optimisations e.g. reducing frozen production time period, reducing changeover time, capabilities for faster capacity backup…
• Translate the market requirements into supply network requirements and the plant view to market view.
• Manage relations with key business partners, e.g. in the markets and in the business as well as Customer Service, Finance & Procurement by ensuring timely feedback and regular, structured communication.
Functional tasks
• Drive the assigned supply tasks within the category supply network, optimize capacity and inventory relating to market requirements and demand forecast.
• Ensuring markets’ supply by monitoring and mitigating potential supply risks in respective area of planning.
• Create, review and adjust operational and tactical distribution plans/production schedules, escalate in case of severe service/inventory risks. Identify long term demand and supply challenges, set appropriate inventory target and advise on network capacity management strategies to ensure stable supply
• Analyze exceptions, take business decisions within agreed Framework (based on segmentation priorities or after arbitration and product allocation) and adjust planning results accordingly. Establish production requirements for short and long term and follow up on production plans.
• Track and report Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to drive business results and to serve as early warning signs of problem performance e.g. Service level by category and market, inventory health, schedule adherence.
• Providing root cause analysis and action plans for past periods and monitoring future availability outlooks, including building comprehensive mitigation plans in case of service risk and identifying risks and opportunities for improvements and efficiencies increase.
• Support improvement projects to improve the efficiency of existing processes and drive related actions
E2E Supply planning tasks for your category
• Support monthly Supply Review as part of the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process.
• Short-term (13 weeks): Support weekly Supply & Demand Synchronization process (rolling 13 weeks short-term planning).
• Drive execution of value chain segmentation decisions
• Inventory planning: Balance the need for product availability versus the need to minimize costs of inventory to ensure optimum stocks of the right material in the right location. Establish and periodically review stock policies for Finished Goods
• Challenge category & plant production planners to manage lot sizes, cycle times to drive optimum finished goods inventory and required Freshness level. Also challenge Demand Planner to improve Demand Planning Accuracy
• Ensures proper Master Data settings and Event Management related supply network planning visibility (launches, re-launches, discontinuations). Support Portfolio management execution by enabling phase-in/phase-out of finished goods and related materials
Processes & Systems
• Adopt and improve Kinaxis Rapid Response in the area of supply and inventory planning and optimize related processes.
• Active participation in new Enterprise Ressource Planning (ERP) project to design and implement future E2E “to-be work processes” for “demand to supply” and “order to cash”.
• Document and further optimize supply planning processes and systems. Support related capability building, projects and key user structure to support supply chain systems and processes.
You are the right fit, if you have
• University or college degree, preferably in Supply Chain / Logistics, Economics or alike
• Minimum 5 years experience in production- or inventory planning, stock building, scenario planning
• Minimum of 3 years working as a production, supply or purchase planner in a complex and high SKU-count environment
• Computer literacy (MS Office functions and ERP/planning systems, preferably Kinaxis Rapid Response)
• Knowledge of supply chain processes (MRP, Detailed Scheduling, S&OP etc.)
• Planning agility
• Result and action oriented
• Strong analytical skills and high proficiency in Excel
• Drive for continuous improvement
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Copes with occasional exposure to communication with top management
• Ability to positively respond to change in a dynamic environment
• Strong influencing skills, good stress management
