Website The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1892, it has grown into a “total beverage company” with a portfolio of more than 200 brands. In South Africa, the Coca-Cola system operates through two primary entities: Coca-Cola South Africa (Pty) Ltd, which manages brand marketing and concentrate production, and Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), the primary bottling and distribution arm.
Key Purpose
| Job Title | Demand Planning Manager |
| Job Category | Manufacturing |
| Company | Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa |
| Job Type | Permanent |
| Location – Country | South Africa |
| Location – Province | Gauteng |
| Location – Town / City | Midrand |
The Demand Planning Manager leads the national demand forecasting process, ensuring an accurate, aligned forecast that supports commercial, financial, and supply chain planning. The role improves forecast accuracy, manages demand risks and scenarios, enables effective IBP cycles, and develops a high-performing Demand Planning team.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Demand Forecasting and Consensus Building
- Own the national volume forecast across all categories, channels, and time horizons.
- Lead monthly demand review cycles in alignment with the IBP process.
- Work cross-functionally to build consensus between Commercial, Finance, and Supply Chain
Forecast Accuracy and Continuous Improvement
- Analyse forecast performance, identify root causes of inaccuracies, and lead corrective action initiatives.
- Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy through analytics, collaboration, and enhanced process discipline.
- Implement forecast segmentation, lifecycle planning, and event-based adjustment best practices.
Process and System Enablement
- Ensure adherence to a structured demand planning calendar and governance framework.
- Leverage statistical models, system-generated forecasts, and market intelligence to produce robust projections.
- Champion the use of demand planning system across all users.
Leadership and People Development
- Lead, coach, and mentor Demand Planners, ensuring role clarity, capability development, and performance excellence.
- Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and support career development for team members.
- Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture within the demand planning function.
Scenario and Risk Management
- Lead the modeling of demand scenarios in response to promotional activity, pricing shifts, customer initiatives, or market disruption.
- Provide early warnings on risks and opportunities, with actionable mitigation plans.
- Accountable for volume alignment across financial, commercial, and operational functions.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
- Partner with Commercial and Finance teams to align forecast with revenue targets and market dynamics.
- Represent the demand function in Integrated Business Planning (IBP) forums and executive reviews.
- Present forecast insights, key drivers, and forecast accuracy metrics clearly to senior leadership.
Skills, Experience & Education
- Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Statistics, Economics, related field
- Preferred: Honours or postgraduate qualification in Demand Planning, Operations Research, or Commercial Strategy
Experience
- 6–8 years’ experience in demand planning or forecasting within FMCG or manufacturing
- Proven success in cross-functional planning environments (Commercial, Finance, Manufacturing)
- Demonstrated impact on forecast improvement and planning process enhancement
- Experience in integrated IBP cycles
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing demand planning teams, including setting objectives, coaching performance, and building capability.
Skills
- Strong statistical forecasting and analytical capabilities
- Expertise in SAP, Blue Yonder or similar demand planning platforms
- Advanced proficiency in Excel; Power BI or Tableau is a plus
- Understanding of market dynamics, promotional planning, and product lifecycle management
- Skilled in presenting data-driven insights and engaging cross-functional teams
- Familiarity with commercial planning processes and their integration with supply chain
- Strong influential, communication, facilitation, and coaching skills
- Proven people leadership skills, with the ability to coach, develop, and performance-manage Demand Planners.
To apply for this job please visit ccba.erecruit.co.
