Global Planning Excellence Manager in Reigate

Responsible for governing and continuously enhancing global demand and supply planning processes, metrics, systems, S&OP process and organisational capabilities across Kimberly-Clark and its partnership with Suzano.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and lead global demand and supply planning processes and systems, acting as the global process owner across forecasting, supply planning, production scheduling, raw material planning, deployment planning, and S&OP.
• Ensure all processes are aligned with business unit strategies, wider supply chain objectives, and customer requirements.
• Drive system and process optimisation, providing thought leadership on demand and supply planning tools and methodologies.
• Partner closely with IT and external vendors to implement, enhance, and continuously improve planning systems that are scalable, future-ready and fit for purpose.
• Own the global Sales & Operations Planning process, supporting business units to achieve and sustain gold-standard S&OP maturity; ensure strong cross-functional integration, robust governance and effective decision-making to balance demand, supply, cost, cash and service.
• Define, oversee and communicate key performance indicators for demand and supply planning and S&OP.
• Drive measurable improvements in forecast accuracy, service levels, inventory performance, cost to serve and overall supply chain effectiveness.
• Work closely with the Analytics team to turn data into strategy, developing performance frameworks that convert raw data into actionable insights.
• Enable smarter, faster decision-making that directly improves cost, cash, service and operational performance.
• Build organisational capability through training and enablement, designing and deploying capability roadmaps, playbooks, standards and best practices with a strong continuous-improvement mindset.
• Oversee master-level training, up-skilling programmes and system adoption initiatives across regions.
• Conduct system usage and process effectiveness insights, identifying gaps in adoption, data quality and execution discipline, and drive targeted actions to improve planning performance and maturity.
• Lead cross-functional and cross-geography transformation initiatives, acting as a visible change leader to modernise planning ways of working and embed consistent, high-performing global processes and systems.
• Lead the global Planning Excellence Team, driving system optimisation, global best practices, capability building and performance improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, mathematics, economics, statistics, engineering, computer software or a related field.
• 10+ years of proven success in demand and supply planning, with expertise in commercially available ERPs and forecasting systems, team leadership and previous experience leading S&OP processes globally.
• Experience implementing new technologies and systems, strong knowledge of statistical modelling, planning optimisation and troubleshooting within demand and supply planning platforms.
• Experience deploying large-scale planning processes or tools.
• Knowledge of Six Sigma, Lean and other continuous-improvement methodologies and experience of project management.
• Ability to apply complex mathematical and statistical techniques to improve demand and supply plan accuracy and performance.
• Strong experience of direct people management within supply chain and a knack for leading cross-functional teams, influencing stakeholders and driving collective success, transformation and change-management programmes.
• Proactive problem-solver with a strategic mindset, exceptional communication skills and a collaborative approach.
• Exceptional ability to engage, persuade and align teams across all levels of the organisation.

Benefits

• Market-leading pension contribution.
• Bonus scheme.
• Flexible savings and spending accounts to maximise health-care options.
• Private medical insurance, support for medical, dental and vision coverage.
• Diverse income protection insurance options.
• Additional programmes and support to continue education, adopt a child, relocate or find temporary childcare.
• Flex That Works - flexible work model blending remote work with intentional in-person collaboration.

Eligibility and Employment Conditions

Employment is subject to verification of local policies. This role is available for local candidates only authorised to work in the role's country. Kimberly-Clark will not provide relocation support for this role.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Kimberly-Clark is a committed equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification and are not an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities and skills required. Employment is subject to verification of local policies.