Senior Supply Chain Planner

At Dow, we believe in putting people first and we’re passionate about delivering integrity, respect and safety to our customers, our employees and the planet. 

Our people are at the heart of our solutions. They reflect the communities we live in and the world where we do business. Their diversity is our strength. We’re a community of relentless problem solvers that offers the daily opportunity to contribute with your perspective, transform industries and shape the future. Our purpose is simple - to deliver a sustainable future for the world through science and collaboration.If you’re looking for a challenge and meaningful role, you’re in the right place.

About this role

Decides what, when and where to produce for multiple production sites or multiple plants at one site, within a single business or multiple smaller businesses. Balances supply and demand over the tactical horizon to achieve optimum product availability, asset utilization and supply chain efficiencies. Plant locations will be in a single region or a number of plants globally.

In this role, you will require understanding of key business drivers for your discipline and function. You will need to be able to expand conceptual and working knowledge related to your discipline or functional area. You are expected to provide informal guidance to new team members and be able to explain complex information to others.

It is your responsibility to use technical experience, established practices, and personal judgement to analyze and resolve straightforward problems. Your performance impacts the quality of your own work and your team’s work and requires that you work within established guidelines and policies.

Purpose of the job:  Primary focus of this role is maximizing revenue and profits by aligning market demand with internal resources, ensuring right mix of products can be delivered to the customers at the right time and confirming progress is being made towards meeting long term goals. The Demand Planner is responsible for all aspects of the consensus processes which include getting inputs (commercial overrides, market events, assumptions, statistical forecasting etc.) from multiple stakeholders both internal and external and loading into OMP Forecasting Tool to provide business with a consensus forecast for the business to review in Demand Review meetings. The Demand Planner constantly challenges status quo and drives system, process and performance improvements using plan accuracy metrics, bias metrics and other ad-hoc analysis. The Demand Planner collaborates with business to help streamlining of focus areas and support gaining consensus, decision making and performance improvement. 

Primary Responsibilities:

Ensures best demand planning practices are followed within the organization e.g. unbiasedness, intelligence/assumption-based planning, engagement, collaboration, consensus and risk-mitigation. Provides adequate training and guidance to stakeholders towards desired business outcomes. Engages commercial teams, receives market intelligence inputs and motivates contributors to comply with demand planning processes and timelines.  Works with cross functional teams on projects such as new product launches, product expansion and product discontinuation. Identifies key topics for discussion in the demand S&OE meeting and leads weekly meetings with Commercial Team. Prioritizes topics based on business impact and timing. Topics include –Week to week changes in the forecast and reasons behind the changesignificant gaps in forecasts (actuals vs forecast) and assumptions behind the differencesreview of previous assumptions, potential changes and corresponding impactplan accuracy and bias metrics, causes and recommendations. Does the pre-work before S&OE meeting to ensure productive meeting to focus on key outliers impacting the business and supply operation. Escalates consensus issues to the commercial team for broader discussions and decision making. Ensures unconstrained plan from demand review and final constrained/reconciled plan from IBP meetings are updated in the systems for further planning and execution.  Ensures data maintenance of the Demand Planning system (OMP) monitored monthly. Aligns and Supports Demand Manager to deliver effective Business Plan Supports training of fellow Demand Colleagues to ensure alignment and correct use of OMP. Monitors closed projects from Sales team to ensure forecast received to support new won business.

Required Skills/Knowledge:

Leadership Skills – The person should be a champion in engaging people with different priorities towards a common objective. Leadership competencies included –

Builds excellent relationship with internal and external customers based on trust and confidence. Influential and charismatic especially with decision makers and cross functional teams Constructively challenge people during meetings without impacting meeting environment Controls emotions and maintains composure when stakeholders are critical. Highly collaborative without imposing individual opinion during consensus. Focuses on both short-term results and long-term goals. Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication, including great presentation skills.

Industry and Business Knowledge – Have sound knowledge of the industry, business, products, end market segments, distribution channels, regulatory constraints and drivers of sales. Should be able to understand the inputs and assumptions from cross functional teams, probability of occurrence, quantify the implications and drive discussion during the demand meetings.

Process Knowledge – Understands the big picture and at the same time possesses a detailed knowledge of the demand planning process. Knows how demand planning impacts overall business performance in terms of capital investment, production and sourcing decisions and how plan accuracy reduces costs and increases competitive advantage. Sound knowledge of best practices in demand planning that leads to an unbiased volume forecast. Understands the challenges in implementing and sustaining demand planning best practices. Sound knowledge of allied planning processes e.g. sales and operations planning, inventory planning, supply planning and financial planning. Understands the concepts of independent demand (driven by end customer) and dependent demand (requirements based on end demand) and how the information flows in between businesses.

Cross Functional Knowledge – Understands the importance of cross functional inputs in demand planning. Knowledge of cross functional priorities and their forecasting processes. Understands factors that introduce bias into the forecasting process and should be able to relate forecasting issues to people, functional and management behavior. Should be able to switch languages when talking to cross functional teams, quickly switching from customers to market economics to industry regulations to promotions, etc. 

Analytical and Systems Knowledge – Ability to frame process and forecasting questions that needs to be answered. Ability to identify “vital few from trivial many” based on business impact, timing and needs of the business. Guides the analysts in developing the set of filters that needs to be applied to identify key issues and perform the right analysis to get more details around the issue. Ability to interpret complex analysis performed by the analysts and applies business insights to translate them into business issues and recommendations. Sufficient knowledge of time-series and causal forecasting techniques. Sufficient knowledge of demand planning, ERP and reporting systems.

Performance Management – Sound knowledge of different performance metrics used to measure demand planning efficiency. Understands issues associated with forecasting methodologies, weighting of across product and time, month-to-month noises, etc. Ability to relate plan accuracy and bias issues to cross functional stakeholders and leadership behaviors. 

Documenting and Reporting – Knows the importance of data integrity in reporting and gives high level of attention to details before reporting numbers. Stays current on aggregated financial numbers for the business and uses the knowledge to validate the reports provided by the analysts.

Other Critical Success Factors:

Well-rounded individual with analytical, communication and leadership skills
Successfully manages through ambiguous situation
Works well under pressure
Can influence actions, individuals and results
Challenges the status quo
Exemplifies continuous improvement mindset
Possesses and utilizes interpersonal and presentation skills

Experience:
Worked with ECC, OMP, Demand /Supply Planning and Reporting systems, statistical analysis systems and understand the basic framework of these systems.
Knowledge of supply chain planning process is a plus.

Benefits – What Dow offers you 

We invest in you. 

Dow invests in total rewards programs to help you manage all aspects of you: your pay, your health, your life, your future, and your career. You bring your background, talent and perspective to work every day. Dow rewards that commitment by investing in your total wellbeing.

Here are just a few highlights of what you would be offered as a Dow employee: 

Equitable and market-competitive base pay and bonus opportunity across our global markets, along with locally relevant incentives.  Benefits and programs to support your physical, mental and emotional well-being, to help you get the care you need...when you need it.  Competitive retirement program that may include company-provided benefits, savings opportunities, financial planning and educational resources to help you achieve your long term financial-goals.  Become a Dow shareholder through various employee stock programs. Opportunities to learn and grow through training and mentoring, work experiences, community involvement and team building.  Workplace culture empowering role-based flexibility to maximize personal productivity and balance personal needs.  Global Paid Time Off (PTO) policies:Paid time off for new parents (birthing and non-birthing, including adoptive and foster parents). ​Paid time off to care for family members who are sick or injured. Paid time off to support volunteering and Employee Resource Group’s (ERG) participation. 

Join our team, we can make a difference together. 

About Dow Chemical International Pvt Ltd

Dow Chemical International Private Limited (Dow India) aims to be the most innovative, sustainable, inclusive customer-centric materials science company. The company is committed to delivering the right solutions to its customers’ challenges. With broadest technology sets spanning performance materials, industrial intermediates, and plastics Dow India delivers differentiated science-based products and solutions in high-growth segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, automobile, and consumer care.

A Great Place to Work® Certified company with approximately over 1000 employees, its operations comprise of manufacturing sites, innovation center, established centers of excellence, and commercial office. As a responsible corporate, the company supports its Corporate Social Responsibility (program) with technology expertise and employee volunteerism. Dow India works with non-profit partners towards the empowerment of differently abled, women, and children in communities where it operates. The company aims to redefine the societal blueprint, by supporting holistic sustainability and circular economy initiatives.

As part of our dedication to the diversity of our workforce, Dow is committed to equal opportunities in employment. We encourage every employee to bring their whole self to work each day to not only deliver more value, but also have a more fulfilling career.

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