Category Supply Planner
We are looking for a Category Supply Planner, who would like to be part of our international team.
PPF manages the supply network in a centralized planning setup. We are looking for an experienced Category Supply Planner to join our End‑to‑End (E2E) Supply Chain team. The role manages one or several plants in our Pet Food business, optimizing capacity utilization and meeting customer service objectives while maintaining optimal stock levels and total delivered cost. The position reports to the End‑to‑End Supply Planning Manager.
The Category Supply Planner drives product availability and on‑time, in‑full fulfilment in close collaboration with Category Management, PDM, Procurement, Demand Planning, Production, Customer Service, Warehousing, Transport, and Markets. The aim is to ensure a robust supply plan that meets customer needs, considers network complexities and constraints, and balances product availability with inventory cost.
The role analyzes and communicates relevant supply information to stakeholders, highlighting issues in advance and outlining impacts, trade‑offs, and realistic actions in line with the Integrated Business Planning process.
Duties and responsabilities
People & Collaboration
- Support the category planning team and lead your business area, driving tasks from production to category planning with an end‑to‑end supply chain view.
- Strengthen collaboration with all supplying plants, understanding output and managing issues. Build and optimize category supply networks (e.g., reducing frozen periods, changeover time, enabling faster capacity backup).
- Translate market requirements into supply network needs and align plant perspectives with market needs.
- Manage relationships with key partners (Markets, Customer Service, Finance, Procurement) through timely feedback and structured communication.
Functional Tasks
- Drive assigned supply tasks, optimizing capacity and inventory based on market needs and demand forecasts.
- Ensure market supply by monitoring and mitigating potential risks.
- Create, review, and adjust distribution plans/production schedules; escalate severe service or inventory risks.
- Identify long‑term demand/supply challenges, set inventory targets, and advise on network capacity strategies.
- Analyze exceptions, make decisions within agreed frameworks, and adjust plans accordingly.
- Establish short‑ and long‑term production requirements and follow up on execution.
- Track and report KPIs (service level, inventory health, schedule adherence) as early warning indicators.
- Provide root‑cause analysis, action plans, and mitigation measures for availability risks; identify improvement opportunities.
- Support process improvement projects to increase efficiency.
E2E Supply Planning Tasks
- Support the monthly Supply Review as part of Integrated Business Planning (IBP).
- Support weekly short‑term Supply & Demand Synchronization (13‑week horizon).
- Drive execution of value‑chain segmentation decisions.
- Plan inventory by balancing availability with cost, ensuring optimal stock levels and reviewing FG stock policies.
- Challenge category and plant planners on lot sizes, cycle times, and freshness; challenge Demand Planners to improve forecast accuracy.
- Ensure correct Master Data and Event Management settings for launches, re‑launches, and discontinuations.
- Support portfolio management through phase‑in/phase‑out of finished goods and related materials.
Processes & Systems
- Adopt and improve Kinaxis RapidResponse for supply and inventory planning and optimize related processes.
- Participate in the new ERP project to design and implement future E2E “to‑be” processes for demand‑to‑supply and order‑to‑cash.
- Document and optimize supply planning processes and systems; support capability building and key‑user structures.
You are the right fit if you have
- University or college degree, preferably in Supply Chain, Logistics, Economics, or similar.
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in production or inventory planning, stock building, or scenario planning.
- At least 3 years as a production, supply, or purchase planner in a complex, high‑SKU environment.
- Strong computer literacy (MS Office, ERP/planning systems; Kinaxis RapidResponse preferred).
- Solid knowledge of supply chain processes (MRP, Detailed Scheduling, S&OP, etc.).
- Strong analytical skills and high Excel proficiency.
- Planning agility; results‑ and action‑oriented mindset.
- Continuous improvement mindset.
- Excellent written and verbal English communication skills; comfortable communicating with senior management.
- Ability to adapt positively in a dynamic environment; strong influencing skills and good stress management.
- Hands‑on, well‑organized, self‑disciplined, straightforward, and open‑minded.
- Quick learner, self‑driven, motivated, energetic.
- Creative, proactive, and innovative; assertive when needed.
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