Supply Chain Manager – Commercial

This key role understands both the commercial drivers and the supply constraints and therefore ensures alignment between sales and operations teams. The role successfully combines sales plans, production plans, inventory plans, together with manufacturing and warehousing constraints, to deliver effective supply chain management. As master planner in the Commercial division this role tactically directs operations, logistics, suppliers and sales to ensure the right products are in the right place at the right time. Reporting to the Commercial Director, the successful applicant will be required to deliver on the following key performance areas:

Key Performance Areas:

• Actively manage and direct the production and packing plans within the factories quality constraints, start and stop dates, maintenance program, storage space and seasonality of sales, while taking into consideration the fleet utilization and availability of raw bulk trucks.
• Strategically develop the Sales and Operations Plan and the Manufacturing Program to ensure alignment between sales, production, logistics and warehousing, and finance.
• Develop and monitor, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, systems to eliminate root causes of unsalable product within the supply chain.
• Inventory management.
• Identify areas for improvement within the supply chain to reduce cost and improve efficiency.
• Organise, plan and coordinate packing trials.
• Forms part of the strategic planning decisions relating to production, sales, and logistics.
• Works closely with customer support and food safety departments in responding to customers complaints.

Qualifications and experience:

The successful candidate should possess:

• A completed & recognized Commercial degree or Supply Chain Management Degree.
• 5 years commercial or operations management experience.
• Understanding of sales and operations planning, including financial, logistics and commercial expertise.
• Working knowledge of production processes, packing plants and packaging material, continuous improvement and project management.
• Sound business and commercial acumen.
• Ability to establish strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly developed communication, negotiation and problem solving skills.
• Strong presentation skills, coupled with good judgement and decision making abilities.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel to operations as necessary.