Market Demand Manager Foods (maternity cover)

Unilever is currently hiring for  Market Demand Manager Foods.

Scope: Poland

Contract terms: Maternity cover for 18 months.

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

JOB PURPOSE

At Unilever, we believe in creating a better business and a better world by empowering you to bring your purpose to life through impactful work. As a Market Demand Manager for the Foods Retail (BU), you will be the cornerstone of our Market demand planning excellence and the orchestrator of the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process.

This role requires you to act as a strategic business partner, collaborating closely with CSP, Marketing, and CBD teams while guiding Genpact partners to align with BU-specific requirements. Externally, you will represent Foods Supply Chain (SC) in end-to-end customer collaborations, driving alignment and service excellence. Your expertise will ensure the translation of market insights into actionable demand forecasts, optimize inventory to balance service and cost, and champion continuous improvement in planning accuracy, Bias and efficiency. By leading cross-functional initiatives, you will enable seamless operations, foster innovation, and reduce complexity across the portfolio. Ultimately, this role is pivotal in delivering high customer service, minimizing waste, and advancing Unilever’s digital transformation agenda through a zero-touch S&OP vision.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

Key responsibilities:

• S&OP Orchestration: Lead end-to-end S&OP processes, including Demand Review meetings, aligning volume forecasts with financial targets and business strategies.
• Demand Planning Mastery: Develop accurate forecasts using advanced modeling, historical data, and market trends to predict customer demand.
• Inventory Optimization: Maintain optimal stock levels, mitigate excess inventory risks, and resolve supply/demand imbalances to ensure service excellence.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and SC teams to integrate business insights into demand drivers and innovation pipelines.
• Digital & Process Innovation: Drive adoption of zero-touch S&OP tools, improve forecast accuracy, and reduce bias through exception-based planning.
• Sustainability & Efficiency: Own business waste reduction, manage SKU transitions, and lead complexity reduction initiatives to enhance portfolio agility.

This role demands a data-driven mindset, mastery of supply chain dynamics, and the ability to navigate trade-offs between service, cost, and cash. You will be a guardian of forecast quality, a problem-solver for supply crises, and a catalyst for Unilever’s growth in a fast-evolving market.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• Professional Experience: 3-5+ years in demand/supply planning, finance, sales operations, or related fields (e.g., marketing analytics, business strategy). FMCG experience preferred, with supply planning roles as a strong advantage.
• Educational Background: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in supply chain management, Economics, Business Administration, Engineering, Finance, or a related discipline.
• S&OP Expertise: Proven track record in leading S&OP processes within complex, matrixed organizations. High ownership of end-to-end planning cycles and process optimization.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Strong influencing skills to drive cross-functional alignment (Marketing, Sales, Finance, Supply Chain). Ability to lead remote teams, coach partners (e.g., Genpact), and deliver results in fast-paced environments.
• Problem-Solving & Strategic Agility: Creative thinker with exceptional analytical skills to translate insights into actionable plans. Ability to pivot between long-term strategy and short-term execution while managing ambiguity.
• Technical Proficiency & Digital Acumen: Advanced skills in Excel, SAP, Power BI (report development preferred), and Kinaxis Rapid Response. Experience with AI/ML-driven forecasting tools is a plus.
• Language & Communication: Fluency in Polish and English (written and verbal). Strong storytelling and presentation skills to engage stakeholders at all levels.

Preferred Assets:

• Exposure to retail channel dynamics or customer-facing supply chain collaborations.
• Change management experience, including digital transformation (e.g., zero-touch S&OP deployment).
• Sustainability-driven mindset with a focus on waste reduction and inventory optimization.

Skills & Competencies

• Advanced Analytical & Problem-Solving Expertise
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence
• Customer-Centric Demand Planning
• Data-Driven Decision-Making & Technical Fluency
• Agile Leadership & Stakeholder Management
• Change Management & Innovation Execution
• Strategic Storytelling & Executive Communication
• Growth Mindset & Operational Excellence
• Team Synergy

Accountable Leadership & Collaborative Execution

• Own your impact: Take full responsibility for your well-being, professional growth, and adherence to the highest standards of excellence.
• Consumer-centric focus: Anticipate customer needs with empathy, using data-driven insights to make smart, agile decisions that enhance their experience.
• Stay humble, stay curious: Approach every situation with humility, keeping your "head up" to spot trends, address blind spots, and seize opportunities for meaningful improvement.
• Break down silos: Partner seamlessly with cross-functional teams to create a frictionless, end-to-end customer journey.
• Solve with urgency: Address issues decisively and diplomatically, balancing speed with strategic thinking to protect the customer experience.
• Elevate collective success: Share knowledge, credit, and best practices to strengthen team capabilities and foster a culture of trust.

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. 

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.