Senior Demand Planning Manager - Skin Cleansing and Deodorants, MY

JOB TITLE: SENIOR DEMAND PLANNING MANAGER - SKIN CLEANSING AND DEODORANTS, MY

LOCATION: MALAYSIA

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Drive accurate, unbiased demand forecasting and enable strong demand–supply alignment to deliver high service levels, optimal inventory and cost efficiency for Malaysia.
The role acts as a control tower interface between Commercial, Marketing and Supply Planning—ensuring demand signals are translated into actionable plans that support business growth and operational stability.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Forecasting & Demand Planning

• Develop weekly, monthly and long-range forecasts using historical trends, market insights and commercial inputs.

• Maintain a rolling forecast (typically 18–24 months) to support operational and strategic planning.

• Ensure forecast accuracy (FA) and bias are within agreed targets; proactively identify risks and gaps.

2. S&OP / Demand Governance

• Lead Monthly Demand Planning (DPM) and contribute to S&OP / SnOP cycles.

• Facilitate cross-functional alignment with Marketing, Customer Development (CD), Finance and Supply Planning.

• Provide clear visibility on demand risks, opportunities and mitigation actions to leadership.

3. Demand–Supply Integration

• Co-lead weekly Demand & Supply reviews to reconcile demand changes and optimize service outcomes.

• Partner with Supply Planning teams to balance demand with capacity and sourcing constraints.

• Support decision-making on allocation, prioritization and trade-offs during supply constraints.

4. Performance & Inventory Management

• Track key KPIs : Forecast Accuracy, Bias, Dispatch Rate and Inventory (DOH / SLOB).

• Identify slow-moving and obsolete stock risks and drive corrective actions with stakeholders.

• Ensure healthy inventory positioning to support service and working capital targets.

5. Business Partnering

- Translate commercial initiatives into demand signals with clear assumptions and scenarios.
- Collaborate closely with :

• Marketing (innovations, promotions, demand drivers)

• Customer Development (sales plans, channel dynamics)

• Finance (business planning, volume assumptions)

• Supply Planner (align demand forecasts with inventory and supply plans)

6. Innovation & Portfolio Planning

• Integrate new product launches and phase-outs into demand plans.

• Manage demand lifecycle including ramp-up, transition and depletion.

7. Systems & Data Management

• Maintain data integrity in systems (e.g., Kinaxis, planning tools).

• Leverage digital tools (e.g., planning dashboards) to improve visibility and forecasting accuracy.

8. Transformation

• Level up Demand Plannings skills in Forecast Accuracy and Forecast Bias root cause analysis

• Projects on demand planning improvement (eg. Machine Learning, Chanel Forecasting)

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.