Cluster Supply Planning and Customer Service Assistant Manager – Unilever International

Overview of Unilever International

Unilever International (UI) serves emerging and fast-growing regions, targeting overlooked markets and consumers. It operates globally with expertise in third-party distributors and consolidators.

Main Job Purpose:

Responsible for E2E Supply Chain activities in UI Philippines business. Supply Management and Planning of current sourcing business size of ~E40M GSV combined for Export and Local demand. Customer Service and Business Partnering to Philippines Market with ~E47M GSV. This role requires the candidate to be hands on with day-to-day operations and be able to dedicate time in managing key projects that would unlock business expansion and/or process improvement.

Key job scope includes:

• Operational Supply Planning

• Capacity Interlocking to support business growth (both medium term and long term)

• Sourcing Network Optimization

• Inventory Planning

• Performance Management

• Customer Service Operations

• Order to Cash Management – Claims, Orders, Documents

Key Accountabilities:
Operational Supply Planning:

• Periodically liaise with sourcing units to review supply plans against confirmed customer orders.
• Consolidate supply plans from all sourcing units and share with customer service team.
• Identify short-term capacity issues and highlight the same to the business. Prepare contingency plans by offering products from alternate Sus.
• Loss Tree Analysis for all the non-supplied orders (e.g. forecast led loss, capacity led loss, material issues, etc.).
• KPI Review with the sourcing units at the end of each planning cycle (Service level, Supply plan compliance, Loss reasons, etc.)
• Feed supply plans and potential capacity issues to the demand planner to help in identifying the risks to the financial forecast as part of the S&OP cycle.
• Monitor and lead the offshore supply planning operations.

Capacity Interlocking to support business growth

• Interlock 0-24 months capacity (medium term) with the sourcing units and cluster product group supply chain basis forecast received from the S&OP cycle.
• Interlock 2-5 yrs capacity (long term) with the Global Supply Chain team.
• Identify UI driven CapEx requirements basis discussions with Global Supply Chain team and feedback the same to UI business and finance team for appropriate evaluation and underwriting.

Sourcing Network Optimization

• Sign off the UI sourcing strategy with the global supply chain team.
• Work with UI finance and Global Supply Chain teams to identify opportunities for sourcing network optimization basis predefined selection criteria (service, cost, etc)
• Drive supply chain cost reduction through sourcing network optimization.
  

Inventory Planning

• Define the planning strategies at a ‘Customer–Sourcing Unit–SKU’ combination basis forecast and service criteria (Make to Forecast vs. Make to Order).
• Define stock holding principles for the Make to Forecast SKUs clearly categorizing the stock holding into relevant buckets (safety stock, cycle stock, buffer, etc.)
• Define stock replenishment guidelines and ordering frequency based on different planning cycles for each sourcing unit.
• Monitor DOH (Days On Hand) against target and identify improvement opportunities.
• SLOB management: Highlight slow moving and non-moving stocks to the business to take appropriate actions for disposal.

Performance Management:

• Define and measure performance metrics for measuring effectiveness of the supply planning function. 

Service Strategy

• Segmented Supply Chain Design for service.
• Clearly define service strategy by vertical for the overall UI business (MTO vs. MTF by customer – SKU combination with the right stock holding location).

Customer Service:

• To be the one point of contact for customers for all Supply Chain requirements. Be the lead person to run the Order to Deliver process (for a set of customers) and in the process ensure that customer’s requirements are met in the most cost- effective way and at the required speed.
• The main responsibilities of the job will include flawless execution of Customer Service to achieve business goals of Top & Bottom-line growth specific to the Customer Groups.
• The incumbent will be responsible for delivery of Customer Service KPI's such as high fill rates, on-time deliveries of orders; reduction of losses due to Order To Cash (OTC) cycle.
• The incumbent will also be responsible lead digitization and capabilities relating to improving
• Customer Service strategy: Support in the implementation of Customer Service Strategy
• Customer Engagement: Business partner with Business Development Managers and Customer to unlock supply issues and servicing related concerns – dispatch plan, invoicing, claims, documentations, pre-payment process, etc.
• Monitor and track Fill Rates and devise improvement plan for key customers through Loss Tree analysis.
• Work with Capabilities team on several system/tool improvement projects.
• New lanes Set-up for new sourced product ranges.
• Lead and manage the required set-ups to operationalize new lanes for transacting businesses for Unilever sourced products. Co-ordinate, track and report progress to stakeholders. Drive efficiencies to operationalize lanes fast including Customer Shipment Instructions (CSI)
• Order prioritization, backlog orders review, carry forward and exceptions’ management: Provide inputs to planning team for customer and order prioritization in case of constrained supplies. Handle exceptional orders and less than lead time orders as per the strategic needs of the business.
• Review Orders vs Supply Plan & communicate: Monitor Orders and communicate proactively with the customer on any potential issues in dispatching the perfect order. A less than perfect order has variance in qty or arrival time of any SKU from customer’s placed order. Connect with planning teams to resolve issues.
• Claims: All Supply Chain related claims, returns, refusals from the customer are to be handled appropriately. Lead the investigation and closure of cases. Review Invoices for approval

• Order accuracy & hygiene: Work with the customers to ensure that accurate orders are released to the planning team as per agreed timelines
• Provide timely feedback and updates to customer queries and circulate timely reports, conduct review meetings, calls on case to case and regular basis for smooth operations.

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviours

• Care Deeply: You care deeply about how consumers experience our brands every day, everywhere; about our people’s growth and development and our impact on the planet. You care about our performance, to a point where it hurts when you don’t win. You apply fairness and transparency in what it takes to succeed and you hold positive tensions for bigger outcomes.
• Stay Three Steps ahead:  You think boldly and creatively to make breakthroughs in performance. You are always curious and confident ─ anticipating and staying ahead of consumer needs and external trends to beat the competition, leading, shaping and disrupting the market
• Deliver with Excellence: You deliver everything you do with excellence and pace.  You take personal ownership and hold each other to account. You take pride in execution, developing breakthrough solutions.
• Focus on what counts: You ruthlessly prioritise what really matters, allowing us to do better on fewer things. You set clear and stretching goals and recognise maximum performance impact. You challenge and debate on the right choices in order to deliver fewer, better things.

Professional Skill:

• ESSENTIAL: Bachelor’s degree in engineering or supply chain.
• Experience Required: 4 to 5 yrs experience in Supply Chain out of which at least 3 yrs in supply planning
• Strong analytical skills and Strong Interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in fast paced environment and managing multiple stakeholders.
• Pro- active communication and ability to manage customer interactions
• Has a customer centric mindset with high influential skills to drive change and process improvement
• Ability to organize, structure and manage business partners in fast growing business

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.