Senior Manager

Company Description About METRO METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specializes in serving the needs of hotels restaurants and caterers HoReCa as well as independent traders Around the world METRO has some 17 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered With our sCore growth strategy we are committed to becoming the preferred multichannel partner for our professional customers Key Responsibilities 1 Team Leadership Development Lead mentor and develop a team of Demand and Supply Planners fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture Define clear roles responsibilities and performance metrics KPIs for the team aligned with SCM objectives Champion the Day in the Life Of DILO best practices for planners ensuring standardized and efficient daily and weekly workflows Act as the primary point of contact and escalation for the planning team providing guidance and resolving complex issues 2 Demand Planning Forecasting Oversee the demand planning process ensuring the generation of accurate statistical forecasts at the Demand Forecasting Unit DFU level Guide the team in managing forecast exceptions analysing historical sales data and incorporating market intelligence to refine forecasts Collaborate with Category Management and Sales to integrate promotional plans and pricing programs e g Metro Mail Buy More Pay Less - BMPL new product introductions NPI and product lifecycle PLC changes into the demand plan Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy and bias utilizing tools like EDGE Analytics for root cause analysis 3 Supply Inventory Management Supervise the supply planning process within our Metro Demand and Supply Planning MDSP system to ensure high availability while optimizing stock levels Oversee the creation and management of purchase orders POs and sales orders SOs including the approval process for manual order requests MORs Implement and monitor inventory strategies including the Smart Safety Stock SmartSS methodology to balance between service levels inventory and E2E costs Manage different supply chain flows including Direct Store Delivery DSD Central Stock CS and Break-Bulk Cross-Docking BBXD ensuring optimal configuration and execution Collaborate with the Supplier Collaboration team to improve On-Time In-Full OTIF performance and resolve supply-side issues 4 Process System Optimization Act as a key user and subject matter expert for the MDSP Blue Yonder platform driving its adoption and effective utilization Identify opportunities for process automation and efficiency gains leveraging tools like our AI-powered EDGE MAiA Ensure master data integrity for all planning-relevant fields e g lead times MOQs sourcing rules calendars by working closely with Master Data Management MDM and IT teams Participate in the design and implementation of new planning functionalities and system upgrades 5 Cross-Functional Collaboration Reporting Lead and participate in key S OP Sales Operations Planning meetings including Demand Best-Practice and Demand Consensus meetings to align all stakeholders on a single integrated plan Communicate supply chain performance risks and opportunities to senior management and other departments Utilize the Replenishment Dashboard and other BI tools to monitor KPIs and provide actionable insights to the business Qualifications Education Bachelor s or Master s degree in Supply Chain Management Logistics Business Administration or a related field Experience Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in demand and supply planning preferably within the retail wholesale or FMCG industry At least 2 years of experience in a leadership or team management role Proven track record of improving key supply chain metrics e g availability inventory turnover forecast accuracy Technical Skills Essential Hands-on experience with advanced planning systems Strong preference for JDA Blue Yonder Demand Fulfillment MDSP Proficient in using ERP systems and understanding data flows between systems Strong analytical skills with experience using BI and data visualization tools e g Google Data Studio Tableau MSI Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel Knowledge of SQL and experience with large datasets e g Google BigQuery is a significant plus Soft Skills Excellent leadership and people management skills Strong analytical problem-solving and decision-making abilities Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across different functions and cultures Proactive results-oriented and able to thrive in a fast-paced dynamic environment Fluent in English proficiency in German or another language is an asset