Associate Manager, Planning

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Join us at the intersection of saving and sustaining lives—where your purpose accelerates our mission.

Summary:

• The Associate Manager, Planning position is responsible for leading country level SIOP and team of planners & junior planners to manage Demand and Inventory Planning activities of countries/cluster assigned where each country may have different business model and product portfolios.
• This role is also responsible for leading HST segment integration covering India cluster & SMI cluster. To standardize & implement SIOP and planning process.
• This role is the end-to-end planning business partner to the respective commercial markets and stakeholders and is in charge of driving team to achieve KPIs such as forecast accuracy, OTIF, back order, and inventory.
• The Associate Manager, Planning also manages/ leads team to manage all forecasting activities to create an accurate demand forecast with the outcome being a forecast which incorporates current and accurate market information, ensuring the company can correctly predict customer demand and provide the supply chain with the appropriate information to plan how to meet that customer demand.
• In addition, the role creates and maintains / leads team to creates and maintains forecast models continually refining and improving forecasts for their respective categories, incorporating business intelligence, to anticipate customer demand and has responsibility for gathering and analyzing data for new product launches and forecast information gathered from multiple sources.
• The Associate Manager, Planning manages and optimizes inventory (based on demand driven) at countries or a cluster level. Additionally, the role will work closely with Market Planners from business segment to understand obtain information of supply constraint/ mitigation plan and inventory issues to escalate to commercial team, as well as leading and driving communication of gaps between commercial team, market planning, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and fulfillment teams. The role encompasses a high level of commercial partnership, supply continuity and risk management accountabilities.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead and coach planner(s) to manage Demand and Inventory Planning (based on demand driven and parameter set up) activities
• Develop/ Lead team to develop demand forecasts (operational forecasts) at multiple levels of aggregation for multiple time horizons as part of a demand planning function through
  • Analyzing historical sales trends, research demand drivers, prepare strategic forecast data, develop statistical forecast models, and evaluate forecast results and recommend areas for improvement as well as potential risks.
  • Analyzing and monitoring trends in forecast and bias error and work with the commercial team to reduce the error and lead cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refine the forecast model to reflect updated sales and marketing assumptions.
• Proactively collaborate with commercial on portfolio changes to ensure the forecast reflects new product launches as well as changes to existing products.
• Collaborate and drive a consensus approach by working with Commercial, Finance and Supply Chain partners to obtain and ensure that current and accurate information is used for demand forecasts (Country/Cluster demand review meeting and prep).
• Lead and Coach Planner(s) on Demand Consensus reviews with Commercial teams in country/cluster level and lead SIOP review with GMs of countries / cluster level
• Use the relevant planning software as the primary forecasting system tool and update forecast with applicable supply constraints. Monitor customer limits and rebalance product allocation, when needed in cooperation with marketing partners.
• Responsible for developing, executing, and managing inventory plan and strategies on existing items, new products, and product phase-outs with accountability to report inventory variances
• Drive inventory optimization opportunity analysis (based on demand driven) and deployment, including communication of any required parameter changes for cluster/country (e.g. transit lead time, safety stock, freq.in planning tool.
• Own the communication strategy to the commercial team for end to end planning issues, escalating low cover products through compilation of supply risks for escalation tracking at regional level
• Communicate back-order resolution/ supply concerns provided by market planner to mitigate back order and get approval on mitigation cost for all Supply issues
• Measure, analyze and report key process. metrics and monitor adherence to key performance indicators (KPIs) and drive KPI process improvements on forecast bias, forecast accuracies, back orders, OTIF and inventory reduction (demand driven)
• Recommend and implement enhancements to business processes and identify opportunities to improve operational efficiencies.

Qualifications:

• Strong Data analytics skill to provide data insights, forecast analysis and ability to judge when to deep dive
• Proven leadership with advanced influencing skill, who’s collaborative but also be able to influence the stakeholders/counterparts/internal peers on decision-making
• Strong leadership and communication skill
• Extensive knowledge and experience in demand and supply planning processes, techniques and methodologies.
• Detailed working knowledge of effective Supply Chain performance, including Operations management.
• Significant knowledge and well-established relationships across different parts of the organization: commercial, sales, marketing, product development, finance, fulfilment and manufacturing, related to the segment they are planning for, e.g., product lines, business unit, region, etc.
• Deep knowledge in demand planning processes, techniques and methodologies. Strong mathematical/statistical ability required.  Analytical and quantitative skills​. Hands-on experience with modeling, forecasting, analysis and simulation tools.
• Customer focused, service mindset
• Worked in a team-based environment.
• Business domain experience in the supported process and technology (RapidResponse and Tableau) areas (nice to have).

Fundamental:​

• Collaborative but able to challenge and influence external insights/inputs​ and stakeholders.
• Well-organized, clear presenter​

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7+ years’ experience in supply chain planning, including specific experience in identifying planning process improvements, training and coaching team members/colleagues.
• APICS certification is preferred.
• Have advanced mathematical and/or statistical abilities. including forecasting and forecasting methods with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts.
• Advanced analytical, organizational, decision making, and presentation skills.
• Well-organized and high level of attention to detail.
• Proficient in RapidResponse or other relevant planning systems.
• Experienced with other software packages including Windows, and Microsoft Office.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

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