At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead demand planning and innovation excellence to enhance forecasting and operational efficiency.
- Company: Join Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks company with over 200 brands.
- Benefits: Flexible working, inclusive culture, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while collaborating with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in demand planning and strong analytical skills required.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive culture that celebrates diversity and innovation.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Location: 1HQ, London
Fixed term contract until 31 December 2026
Closing Date: 10 April 2026
With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you’ll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future. Join us to create a career worth celebrating.
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 realizing 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.
Key Responsibilities
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you’re supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one. Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this. We embrace 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 and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences and more. Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.
If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application.
Demand Planning and Innovation Excellence Lead employer: Diageo España SA
Contact Detail:
Diageo España SA Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Demand Planning and Innovation Excellence Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their products and values, and think about how your skills align with their goals. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly gets them.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online resources to get comfortable with common questions. The more you practice, the more confident you'll feel when it’s time to shine.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our brand.
We think you need these skills to ace Demand Planning and Innovation Excellence Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Demand Planning and Innovation Excellence Lead role. Highlight your relevant experience in demand planning, forecasting, and any tools you've used like SAP IBP or Excel. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: Since this role requires strong analytical abilities, don’t shy away from sharing specific examples of how you've used data to drive decision-making in past roles. We love seeing how you’ve integrated consumer insights into your planning processes!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the heart of your achievements and capabilities.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people. Plus, you’ll find all the details about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Diageo España SA
✨Know Your Demand Planning Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your demand planning knowledge, especially around IBP processes and forecasting strategies. Be ready to discuss how you've used data-driven insights in past roles to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your strong analytical skills. Think about times when you've integrated customer and consumer insights into your planning processes. This will demonstrate your ability to make informed decisions based on data.
✨Emphasise Cross-Functional Collaboration
Since this role involves working with various teams, be prepared to talk about your experience in leading cross-functional projects. Share specific instances where you successfully aligned different departments towards a common goal, particularly in innovation and supply chain integration.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that test your problem-solving abilities. Think through potential challenges in demand planning and how you would address them. This shows your proactive approach and readiness to tackle real-world issues.