Group Demand and Supply Manager

Dis-Chem Pharmacies has an opportunity available for a
Group Demand and Supply Manager . The Group Demand and Supply Manager ensures optimal product availability and working capital efficiency through integrated demand and supply planning and execution across the network, enabling accurate forecasting, planning, stock on-shelf-availability, visibility, and alignment to commercial strategy.

• Grade 12/ Matric
• Degree in Supply Chain, Commerce, Engineering, Statistics, or a related field, or at least 8 to 10 years of experience in demand planning, supply chain, or inventory management.
• Experienced in leading a team through the design and implementation of retail planning and inventory systems (such as SAP (DD)
  MRP, F&R, UDF, etc.).
• Proven track record leading planning, replenishment, or stock teams in a large retail, FMCG, or pharmacy business.
• Hands-on experience working alongside commercial, finance, supply chain, warehouse, and store operations teams.

• Run the end-to-end demand and supply planning process for imports, local suppliers, contract manufacturers, and private label lines, making sure purchasing matches sales budgets and cash flow targets.
• Improve forecast accuracy and cut down on forecast bias by using structured planning routines, better tracking, and ongoing fine-tuning.
• Manage stock health across the full product lifecycle, from new product launches and fast-growing lines to steady sellers, seasonal peaks, promotions, and end-of-life clearance.
• Work closely with CCO teams to turn commercial ideas (like promotions, price changes, and new ranges) into practical, realistic stock and ordering plans.
• Give the business a clear view of current stock positions, upcoming supply risks, and opportunities so teams can act before problems hit stores.
• Balance on-shelf availability against Days Stock Cover (DSC) and holding costs by running "what-if" scenarios and making sensible trade-off calls.
• Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) to keep buying commitments strictly aligned with agreed working capital limits.
• Continuously refine ordering rules, replenishment parameters, and stock targets to keep inventory moving and productive.
• Take business ownership of the planning and replenishment software, ensuring the tools support daily operations effectively.

• Lead, coach, and support the demand, supply, replenishment, and inventory specialist teams to build a strong, capable team with solid succession plans.
• Run regular planning and S&OP forums to get commercial buyers, suppliers, logistics teams, and finance on the same page for local and imported stock.
• Partner directly with commercial teams, including Category Managers, Buyers, Promotions, Space & Assortment, and Private Label.
• Cross functional collaboration with X, bigly labs, Logistics, IT, Finance, Retail & Pharmacy Ops and Admin to clear bottlenecks.
• Present clear, practical updates to senior leadership on stock performance, supply chain snags, and working capital trends.

• Put in place and enforce clear, practical planning rules, safety stock guidelines, and ordering processes across the network.
• Spot and tackle supply chain risks early, including sudden demand spikes, stock-outs, over-ordering, shipping delays, and port hold-ups.
• Make sure baseline sales data, promotional assumptions, and system parameters are clean and dependable before orders go out.
• Track team and supplier delivery performance against service levels, forecast targets, and stock budgets.
• Keep master data clean and accurate - including pack sizes, lead times, and supplier details - so automated ordering doesn't break down.

• Strong retail experience with deep knowledge of…