Co-Pack Customer Planning Manager in Liverpool

The primary contact for nominated Co-pack customers both internally at Princes and within the Co-pack customer base. The job holder is responsible for the production of management information reports up to director level (internal & external) on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These reports are to ensure all key performance indicators are being tracked and delivered. These reports are also used to generate invoicing which is critical to the P&L performance and cash flow activity. The main KPI’s associated with this role are related to service level management, managing inventory (shortages & excess stock), forecasts, order consolidation, MLOR and overall cost to serve.

Principal Responsibilities

• Manage the relationship with Co-pack customers in line with the contracted service schedule, with the ability to discuss service challenges at senior level and work collaboratively to problem solve in order to gain resolution.
• Responsible for agreeing, validating and collaborating on the rolling 52 week forecast, with forecast accuracy being a key KPI.
• Responsible for calling off finished goods purchase orders in order to meet customers demand.
• Publish agreed contractual KPIs and identify reasons for variances.
• Publish weekly reports, including variance analysis - inventory, service & costs.
• Ensure Co-pack customers inventory remains within agreed parameters.
• Responsible for ensuring system parameters are maintained as per commercial agreements with regard to load fill, lead time, delivery day, order multiple, MLOR.
• Ensure orders are processed in line with contractual agreements in order to minimise the cost to serve for both Princes and Co-pack customers.
• Responsible for exception reporting on live issues, including FTAs, delayed orders, late runners, additional costs.
• Identify potential forward stock availability issues.
• Take appropriate action, both internally and externally, to minimise the impact on service.
• Ensure that promotional volume buy in’s are planned and phased effectively in collaboration with the customer base ensuring logistical constraints are considered.
• Ensure that all lines impacted by range changes are planned and executed, with volumes agreed / launch and run out dates agreed / master data set up both internally and aligned with customer.
• Ensure exceptions are resolved to mitigate potential write off costs and service issues.
• Identify in advance and resolve any potential MLOR issues by obtaining derogation to mitigate potential write off costs and service issues.
• Develop mutually beneficial relationship with retailer contacts to ensure that daily issues are kept to a minimum and are dealt with appropriately.
• Responsible for the master data set up of new customers.
• Responsible for generating customer invoices for all inbound and outbound activity.
• Facilitation of weekly internal / external customer management meetings, fully accountable for all meeting prep, ensuring full attendance from all functions, issue minutes and actions.
• Stock management - Analysis of orders not PGI’d / variances in stock systems / damaged stock / write off / inventory discrepancies.
• Identify improved ways of working – constant review of consolidation opportunities / best practices across customer service base.

Role Requirements

Knowledge / Experience

• Previous experience at management level of working within a Customer Services environment for an FMCG company.
• Experience in customer facing meetings, with ability to present information both online and face to face.
• Supply chain principles, both internally and within customer base – covering warehousing & distribution, stock management and forecasting & planning.

Skills

• Excellent communication – verbal and written.
• Customer empathy.
• Advanced SAP / Excel experience.
• Planning and data analysis (ability to analyse information to identify trends in information to inform essential decision making).

Benefits

• 25 Days Annual Leave plus Your Birthday Off.
• 14.5% Pension - 5% Employee Opt In / 9.5% Employer.
• Enhanced Family Friendly & Carers Policies.
• Life Assurance Cover.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Critical Illness Cover.
• Learning and Development Opportunities.

Country: United Kingdom
Location: Liverpool
Business Area: Operations
Workplace Type: Hybrid

About Princes: The Princes Group has over 7,000 employees with offices and production sites in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, France and Mauritius. Princes manufactures 350 different food and drink products responsibly sourced and enjoyed by consumers every day. None of this would be possible without striving to be an employer of choice, where our colleagues are proud to represent our business.