Head Of Commercial at Wasoko

Job Brief

As the new Head of Commercial Planning, you will play a key role within the company - driving performance, leading commercial planning and delivering data-driven commercial analysis. As leader of the Commercial Planning team, you will take charge of the commercial strategic orientation and the responsibility for delivering on the Business Strategy. Your role is to assist in building and maintaining a strong procurement & planning process for an ambitious Pan-African company.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a Commercial Planning and Procurement Team - ensuring the team is properly structured, motivated and performing
• Deliver growth, ensuring pro-active turn around plans leveraging the power of the marketplace, bringing direction, feedback, and support to the whole team & stakeholders
• Develop demand forecasts (operational forecasts) at multiple levels of aggregation
• Review historical sales trends, to evaluate forecast results.
• Work closely with Sales, Supplier Relationships, Logistic and Finance to ensure that current and accurate information is used for demand forecasts.
• Provide input to the Supply Planning organisation in developing inventory strategies on existing items, new products, and product phase-outs.
• Closely monitor inventory performance, identify potential risks for the organisation and coordinate internally to ensure action plans are in place
• Implement strategies in line with the company objectives.
• Build analysis, to ensure smart reporting on the performance of the Objective and Key Results, leading to action-oriented recommendations
• Ensure business targets are met on a monthly basis
• Work seamlessly with all departments (Sales, Merchandising, Finance, Logistics…), enabling decision making, problem-solving and ensuring laser focus execution
• Constantly working toward improving and simplifying tools
• Providing guidance to suppliers regarding company policies and procedures
• Developing and maintaining relationships with suppliers to improve business operations
• Managing supplier performance by monitoring delivery timeframes and quality of goods or services provided
• Monitoring inventory levels to ensure that there is enough supply to meet demand
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures regarding purchasing methods and procedures, to ensure that costs are kept low while maintaining high quality standards
• Develop and review cost reduction/ optimisation strategies
• Overseeing the import and export logistics of inventory to the various warehouses to ensure all regulations are met. Monitoring work according to company, customs and local policies.

Key Requirements

• BA or MA in finance / economics / business administration
• 5+ years experience in FMCG,
• Action oriented and performance driven
• Strong management and interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical and data management skills
• Structured, organized with good planning skills
• Detail oriented
• Autonomous
• Adept at finding simple solutions to complex problems
• Good with tools or a fast learner (Experienced with Microsoft office suite, and Google tools)
• Flexible and able to handle multiple tasks at the same time
• Able to work under pressure in a fast paced and competitive environment
• Ready to travel up to 30% into in-territory countries
• Understands business concepts, analyses figures, tackles many competing priorities
• Displays strong leadership and ability to drive projects and changes
• Has the ability to understand and assimilate different markets and cultures