Demand Planning & Logistics Specialist, Japan
Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in more than 50 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? 40,000 dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them.
Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.
This role is responsible for developing an accurate demand plan to support stock manufacturing across Ferrero’s global network. The position ensures the Sales Forecast is reliable, enabling a robust Supply Chain that minimizes costs, enhances product freshness, and reduces obsolete inventory. The Demand Planner collaborates with Sales, Central Planning, and Factories to align end-to-end demand and supply in accordance with Ferrero’s S&OP processes and corporate systems.
- Define strategy and allocate resources to achieve a world-class Integrated Planning process, engaging key business stakeholders
- Lead the rollout of strategic initiatives in Japan, overseeing demand planning and S&OP processes for assigned brands, ensuring cross-functional alignment
- Enhance forecast accuracy and planning KPIs (e.g., Forecast Accuracy, Stock Coverage, Freshness)
- Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Trade Marketing to develop consensus forecasts
- Maintain and update demand planning data in SAP APO
- Monitor inventory levels to ensure compliance with company policies
- Address high stock levels and aging inventory to minimize waste
- Support logistics operations and provide backup coverage when needed
- Maintain inventory master data and prepare shipment forecasts
- Analyze logistics data and contribute to cost control initiatives
- Coordinate product deployment to optimize transportation efficiency
- Partner with global teams to implement and improve planning tools and processes
- Identify and lead process improvements across demand and supply planning
- Support strategic initiatives and IT transformation projects to enhance planning efficiency
- Provide administrative support for functional and team activities
- University degree in Supply Chain or a related field
- Proven experience in demand planning, logistics, and supply chain management, with a solid understanding of physical distribution systems (inventory handling, warehousing, and transportation operations), as well as customer service and order management
- Knowledge of forecasting principles, demand planning, production, and inventory management; experience in the food FMCG sector is highly preferred
- Strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities, with a customer-centric approach
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive continuous improvement
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint) and SAP (ECC, APO, BW, BPC)
- Fluency in English and Japanese, both written and spoken
Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world.