Demand Planning Specialist

• Organization:
  Red Bull South Africa (PTY) LTD.
• Job type:
  Permanent

The Demand Planning Specialist is responsible for developing and maintaining an accurate, consensus-based demand plan that balances customer demand, inventory health, service levels, and supply chain capabilities.

The role serves as the key link between Sales, Marketing, Finance, Logistics, Customer Service, Distribution Partners, customers, and Global Operations. Through demand forecasting, customer collaboration, S&OP participation, inventory analysis, demand reviews, and data-driven decision-making, the Demand Planning Specialist identifies opportunities and risks, improves forecast accuracy, and ensures the organization is positioned to deliver sustainable growth while maintaining high service levels. This role combines strategic thinking, analytical capability, stakeholder management, operational execution, and continuous improvement to support business growth and supply chain performance.

Demand Forecasting & Consensus Planning
Develop and maintain accurate demand forecasts across all products, channels, customers, and planning horizons.
Analyze historical sales trends, market intelligence, seasonality, promotional plans, customer forecasts, and commercial assumptions to build robust demand plans. Translate qualitative and quantitative inputs into a balanced demand forecast through structured forecast reviews.
Continuously assess forecast changes, forecast bias, and forecast accuracy, identifying root causes and corrective actions.
Challenge assumptions where required to ensure plans reflect realistic market demand.
Communicate forecast updates, risks, and opportunities clearly to all relevant stakeholders.

Customer Collaboration & Demand Reviews
Lead and support regular demand reviews with Key Account Managers, Distribution Partners, Sales teams, and strategic customers.
Build consensus plans through collaborative forecasting processes and ongoing customer engagement.
Analyze customer forecasts, planned promotions, point-of-sale trends, stock levels, and open orders to identify risks and opportunities.
Provide clear recommendations regarding demand trends, service risks, allocation requirements, and supply constraints.
Support customer service level reviews and facilitate planning discussions that improve forecast quality and execution performance.
Drive accountability for agreed actions and ensure planning assumptions remain aligned across stakeholders.

S&OP, IBP & Planning Process Execution

Support and drive the monthly S&OP and Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process.
Prepare and maintain planning inputs, reports, dashboards, and presentation materials required throughout the planning cycle.
Own demand plan updates within planning systems and ensure submissions are completed accurately and on time.
Maintain planning master data integrity across SAP, IBP, CPM, and relevant planning platforms.
Conduct planning validation checks and resolve planning system, material, location, and master data exceptions.
Collaborate with local and global planning teams to ensure alignment between local requirements and global supply planning activities.
Support continuous improvement of planning processes, governance, controls, and planning maturity.

Inventory Health, Supply Risk & Exception Management
Monitor inventory positions, target stock coverage, service levels, stock health, and product availability.
Identify and proactively manage risks relating to stock shortages, excess inventory, slow-moving stock, aging inventory, and regional imbalances.
Support allocation decisions during periods of constrained supply.
Work closely with Logistics, Customer Service, Procurement, and Global Planning teams to understand supply availability, lead time changes, production constraints, and shipment risks.
Develop mitigation plans and planning scenarios to minimize customer impact where supply constraints exist.
Provide clear visibility of planning exceptions and escape material risks in a timely manner.

New Product Introduction & Portfolio Management:
Support planning activities related to product launches, limited editions, permanent innovations, consumer activations, promotions, and pack transitions.
Develop launch forecasts and monitor launch performance against expectations.
Coordinate planning requirements with Brand, Sales, Finance, Customer Service, Logistics, and Global Planning stakeholders.
Manage planning transitions associated with SKU changes,…