Job Description :

About the function

Our Supply Chain and Manufacturing team are problem-solvers, sourcing, producing, and delivering our much-loved brands to delight customers around the globe. Over half of Diageo’s 30,000+ people work in Supply Chain and Manufacturing. It’s an intricate and sophisticated operation that’s the product of logistical, manufacturing, and technical collaborations.

Our teams in 100 sites in over 30 countries cover production facilities, supplier relationships, customer collaborations and third-party agreements. We’re committed to realising our ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ goals, to protect the environment and support our farmers and suppliers. Whatever your skills and experience, we’ll help you to thrive in our inclusive culture.

About the role

The Demand Planning & Innovation Excellence Lead is responsible for driving best-in-class demand planning processes, enhancing forecasting accuracy, and embedding innovation excellence across the supply chain. This role ensures that demand planning strategies are data-driven, customer-focused, and integrated with innovation processes to improve market responsiveness and operational efficiency.

Role Responsibilities

1. Demand Planning Transformation & Capability Building

• Lead the transformation of demand planning processes by developing tools, training materials, and cheat sheets to enhance planning excellence with consumer and customer analytics.

• Build and execute continuous improvement roadmaps across African markets to increase IBP (Integrated Business Planning) maturity.

• Drive capability improvements through structured stakeholder training programs and coaching.

2. Forecasting Strategy & Accuracy Enhancement

• Develop and implement a robust forecasting strategy for the Africa region , ensuring alignment with market dynamics and business objectives.

• Enhance demand planning accuracy by integrating a depletion forecasting model into demand planning files, improving visibility on depletions, stock-in-trade (SIT), and their impact on shipment forecasts.

• Partner with commercial teams to refine forecast assumptions based on consumer, customer, and market insights.

3. Innovation & Supply Chain Integration

• Improve end-to-end supply chain innovation planning by increasing regional visibility, embedding standardized processes, and managing exceptions efficiently.

• Ensure accountability across all functions by aligning demand planning with supply, commercial, and finance teams.

• Lead cross-functional collaboration to embed innovation excellence into planning processes, ensuring timely execution of product launches and market expansions.

4. Data-Driven Decision-Making & Performance Management

• Leverage analytics and performance tracking tools to continuously refine demand planning accuracy and drive proactive decision-making.

• Standardize and automate reporting frameworks to improve forecast visibility and responsiveness.

• Identify and implement best practices in demand planning and innovation management to enhance business agility.

Experience, skills & capabilities required

• Expertise in demand planning, forecasting, and IBP processes .

• Strong analytical skills with experience in customer and consumer insights integration.

• Proven track record of driving process improvements and capability building across diverse markets.

• Proficiency in forecasting tools (SAP IBP, APO, Excel, or similar systems) .

• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and lead transformation initiatives.

• Strong understanding of IBP maturity frameworks and supply chain integration.

• Strong problem-solving and stakeholder management skills.

• Significant experience in demand planning, forecasting, and innovation management .

• Experience in FMCG, Beverage, or Consumer Goods industries is preferred.

Working with Us

Flexibility is key to success in our business and many of our people work flexibly in many different ways, including part-time, compressed hours, flexible location. Please talk to us about what flexibility means to you and don’t let anything stop you from applying.

We offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including:

• Contemporary work life balance policies and wellbeing activities

• Contributary pension scheme

• Comprehensive health benefits

• Annual bonus

Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and listened to, is a crucial part of this.

We believe the most diverse and inclusive culture makes for a better business and a better world.

We know that for our business to thrive and for Diageo to realise its ambition, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base.

Around the world we have a number of inclusive Business and Employee Resource Groups known as BRGs and ERGs. These influential groups, made up of our people, represent various viewpoints, experiences and communities who generate thought-provoking work to enhance our business and workplace, creating a sense of belonging and opportunities for all.

Join us, and you'll be part of an organisation that embraces diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of — and help build — an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, approaches and more. And you'll help us champion inclusion and diversity across our entire business: with our employees, our suppliers, across our brands, and within the communities in which we operate.

About Us

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Every day, over 30,000 dedicated people come together at Diageo to create the magic behind our much-loved brands.

Join us and you’ll collaborate, explore, and innovate. Challenge and be challenged. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you’ll build brands consumers love.

We value each other and celebrate different perspectives. In our inclusive culture, you’ll have the backing you need to test new ideas and learn from them. Harness your passion and desire to grow as you make your mark. Let’s unlock a brighter, more exciting future together.

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. To achieve this, we need the world’s very best people. We're looking for people with curiosity, creativity, boldness and a sense of purpose to take Diageo and our timeless, pioneering brands to the next level.

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you!

#LI-Hybrid

Worker Type :

Regular

Primary Location:

1HQ

Additional Locations :

Job Posting Start Date :

2025-02-24

With over 200 brands sold in more than 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Every day, over 30,000 talented people come together at Diageo to create the magic behind our much-loved brands. From iconic names to innovative newcomers – the brands we’re building are rooted in culture and local communities. Our ambition is to be one of the best performing, most trusted and most respected consumer products companies in the world.

Our founders, such as Arthur Guinness, John Walker, and Charles Tanqueray, were visionary entrepreneurs whose brilliant minds helped shape the alcohol industry. And through our people, their legacy lives on. Join us, and you’ll collaborate with talented people from all corners of the world. Together, you’ll innovate and push boundaries, shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future that we can all be proud of.

With diversity at our core, we celebrate our people's unique passions, commitments and specialist skills. Because when varied voices, mindsets, and personalities come together, great ideas are born. In our supportive culture, your voice will be heard and you’ll be empowered to be you. Just bring your ambition, curiosity and ideas, and we’ll celebrate your work and help you reach your fullest potential.

DRINKiQ

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