Senior Specialist Commercial Planning & Forecasting

The Senior Specialist Commercial Planning & Forecasting is sitting in the Assortment Planning & Forecasting organisation, which encompasses Category Management, Vendor Management, and Catalog Management, and oversees and leads a range of strategic planning initiatives set by AUTODOC. This role requires strong business expertise, a focus on finding the right data, and the ability to generate insights for the commercial teams of AUTODOC. The successful candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure operational excellence and continuous improvement in vendor management practices.

• Integrate strategic plans into operational planning 

• Propose and align planning drivers, constraints, and assumptions

• Roll out contribution costing in collaboration with Finance and Revenue teams to inform planning, target prices and order decision

• Improve demand forecasts at the country, vendor and category levels 

• Create annual sales forecasts at the category and vendor levels, in collaboration with other planning teams in the company (Finance, SCM, Marketing)

• Work with key vendors in a Joint Supplier Planning process to optimize the business relationship and our buy-price by leveraging data

• Participate in the building of an Integrated Business Planning & Analysis process, owned by Finance

• Continuously update forecasts through rolling planning cycles

• Optimize and monitor profit performance actuals and flag deviations, find root causes and react by assigning actions and adjusting growth trajectories

• Generate performance tracking reports to measure forecast accuracy and business impact

• Demand reallocation from vendor to vendor simulation

• Target prices based on CP1

• Order decision based on CP1

• Vendor data integrity, like price validity, quantities, stock history

Key Skills & Qualifications:

• Analytical Skills: Strong data analysis and reporting skills, with the ability to generate actionable insights and forecast trends.

• Automation & Tech Savvy: Experience with vendor management platforms, data automation, and procurement technology solutions.

• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively across teams and with external suppliers.

• Problem-Solving: Proactive identifying challenges, recommending solutions, and driving continuous improvements.

• Multi-tasking: Ability to juggle multiple projects, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with business priorities.

• Stakeholder Management: Able to effectively collaborate with senior management, internal teams within and without the department, and external suppliers. 

• Good network building skills also across cultural borders.

Experience & Education:

We are looking for an experienced, business-savvy analytical mind, who can identify business opportunities, generate actionable insights and execution plans from vast amounts of data. As a senior member of the team you can work independently and mentor more junior colleagues across both technical topics (tooling, methods and continuous questioning - driving topics to successful closure) and soft skills (managing stakeholders’ expectations and deadlines across organization boundaries).

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, or related field (Master’s degree preferred).

• Experience: Seasoned professional with a minimum of 8-10 years of progressive responsibility in commercial business analysis, commercial planning, regional or business unit planning, preferably in a dynamic, multicultural environment. High-growth startup experience would be a plus.

• Presentation skills: During frequent results presentations to top management, the candidate stands their ground when challenged, and comes prepared for follow-up questions.

• Motivation: We need a highly autonomous person for this role. Drive to research new data sources inside and outside the company and explore them without being asked. Dazzle with results.

• Technical Skills: Proficiency in analytical tools (spreadsheet, SQL, Python). Experience with low-code automation platforms is a plus.

• Languages: Full proficiency in English, including C-level presentation and stakeholder-oriented writing skills from technical requirements to internal communications.

• Experience with procurement or contract management would be a plus.

Soft skills

●  Always starts with the customer and works backwards, striving to improve their experience with Autodoc.

●  Takes complete ownership of projects, demonstrating initiative and reliability in delivering high-quality solutions.

●  Constantly seeks innovative solutions to complex problems and works to simplify processes for scalability and efficiency.

●  Demonstrates a relentless pursuit of knowledge and excellence, staying abreast of industry trends and new technologies.

●  Consistently delivers high-quality work, paying meticulous attention to detail and ensuring excellence in every aspect of their role.

●  Builds and maintains trust with colleagues and stakeholders through transparent communication and delivering on promises.

●  Has a keen eye for detail, analyzing data to derive insights and make informed decisions.