Head of Materials Planning at Diageo

As Head of Materials Planning, you will cover a wide remit across material planning, packaging, returnable asset planning (bottles, pallets and crates etc), raw materials and innovation. The Africa business unit is a $1bn+ critical value region encompassing a number of key markets and strategically important brand penetrations. This is supported by multiple production and support sites, and considerable spend category responsibility. You will lead a team of 25+ central and in-market professionals, taking responsibility for direct and indirect team/capability development and coaching.

Key responsibilities:

• The Head of Materials Planning is accountable for managing the overall supply and deployment of components/raw materials in all African supply facilities; minimizing obsolescence costs for product and materials; making production and/or inventory sourcing decisions that support Africa performance ambition. Responsible for the accurate and cost-effective management of returnable assets (bottles, kegs, crates, etc.) for their reverse logistics planning and reincorporation into production.
• Performing root cause and trend analysis for critical case volume and inventory valuation data.
• Strengthen and sustain effective communication and working relationships between the CoE and key stakeholders in the markets, including Supply Chain Directors, Production and Materials Scheduling, as well as with suppliers, vendors and 3rd parties.
• Lead, manage, coach and develop the whole team, ensuring the required best-in-class supply chain functional and leadership capabilities are being continuously developed in line with Diageo capabilities.
• Ensure that scheduled material plans are sound and robust, in order to guarantee availability of product to meet customer demand on time and in full to world-class standards while maximising production efficiency.
• Initiate, lead and action raw material and packaging inventory plans to control stocks of materials and to avoid write-off costs for all markets supplied.
• Play a lead role in running and improving the business, developing supply chain projects and analytics, and pursue a continuous improvement agenda.
• Support Innovation and Renovation processes, balancing need for flexibility with commitments to service, cost and quality.
• Demonstrate and champion a zero harm safety culture.
• Facilitate a continuous replenishment of raw materials for the brewing and packaging process at all supply locations.
• Ensure rolling material plans developed and communicated to vendors, vendor capacity verified, any potential risks and opportunities identified and addressed.
• Communicate to appropriate stakeholders any/all risks to ongoing supply of finished product or raw material from all production locations.
• Ensure an ongoing tracking of materials/supply chain metrics regarding service, cost, and cash flow.
• Perform root cause and trend analysis for critical case volume and inventory valuation data.
• Ensure Material Planning systems and processes in place are aligned to global supply planning codification strategy and standards.
• Ensure that all master data pertaining to MRP is maintained in the appropriate information systems (e.g. SAP, ECC6, APO).

What we are looking for:

• Considerable leadership (strategy and team) experience across material planning and/or procurement experience.
• Consumer packaged goods/CPG would be great, but we are flexible on your industry background, it's your core skills and behaviours that we are most interested in. Additionally, some wider cross functional experience outside of materials categories would be ideal, e.g., procurement, packaging, raw materials.
• Experience of the Africa market isn't a prerequisite.
• Excellent knowledge of MPS/MRP and DRP methodology. Experience with advanced planning software with Supply Planning (SAP APO would be an advantage).
• Experience within supply chain optimisation platforms (ERP / master data, time-phased replenishment planning systems).
• Detailed understanding of end to end supply chain operational processes, e.g., DRP, MPS, inventory, conversion, logistics and customer service.
• Exceptional influencing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Customer centric mind set
• High degree of quantitative and analytical skills, with attention to detail