Africa Packaging, Labels and Direct Materials Planner

Job Purpose:

As part of the Africa RC Supply Planning team, Direct Materials Planner will be a single point of contact to ensure accurate planning of labels, packaging and direct materials, so as follow-up on execution and optimization of related processes.

Responsibilities or duties

Labels and Packaging Materials

• Lead cross functional team incl Regulatory, Legal, Marketing, Portfolio Management, Commercial, Import & Export Governance, Procurement and Manufacturing stakeholders to drive seasonal label and packaging review, while considering the long-term portfolio plans and branding guidelines.
• Ensure regular reviews and updates of label and packaging plan, in line with commercial demand evolution and communicate necessary changes to procurement, sites and suppliers
• Ensure smooth approval process between relevant stakeholders, correct label/packaging version management, overall repository of current labels and up to date archiving.
• Follow up on execution of labels and packaging supply with plants and suppliers and flags any risk impacting the production or customer deliveries
• Ensure consistency and harmonization of process and design across existing and potential new crops for commercial, trials and foundation seeds.
• Work closely with EMEA Label & Packaging Planner to find synergies and opportunities for best practice sharing across the region, improving label & packaging designs and standardization across sites.
• Collaborate with the plant operations team and sites to assess and implement improvements for packaging, printing and labeling lines as well as systems to support harmonization across region as well as implementation of new technology and features.

Direct Materials

• Regularly monitor production plans to guarantee direct materials availability
• Steer sourcing of direct materials to ensure right balance between low inventory levels, increasing stock-out risks and excessive inventory leading to write-offs from expiration or bans
• Drive real-time visibility of inventory of the direct materials for all Bayer/3rd party tollers
• Support the definition and regional implementation of a structured forecasting and in-sourcing process, connecting Seeds and CP planning teams, securing demand/supply of Bayer seeds growth products for our manufacturing sites for downstream application on Dekalb seeds
• Work closely with the EMEA Direct Materials Planner to find synergies and opportunities for best practice sharing across the region
• Work in close collaboration with Seed Applied Solution teams (taskforce/operations team) & planning teams in Europe & Africa to support testing, industrialization and launch of new seed treatments
• Manage and build supplier relationships aimed at improving supplier performance, agility and securing direct materials supply
• Support the definition of a formal process for intercompany direct materials purchases and collaborate with regulatory and trade and compliance teams to define a process that would allow quick & easier transfer of chemicals between different sites in case of emergencies
• Support regional optimization projects aimed at costing optimization and driving standardization in direct materials management across EMEA and just in time automated sourcing for seeds sites and tollers

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Required Qualifications:

• BA/MA degree or equivalent, preferably with focus on SCM or Logistics

Key competencies:

• Strong business partnering skills - ability to drive decision making in cross-functional teams
• Analytical, can manage complexity, results oriented, continuous improvement
• Outstanding communicator, organizer, strong integrity and influencing skills
• Proficiency in English

Experience needed

• 7+ years of experience in Planning, Supply Chain, Manufacturing or Cost Analysis Accounting

• Lead cross functional team incl Regulatory, Legal, Marketing, Portfolio Management, Commercial, Import & Export Governance, Procurement and Manufacturing stakeholders to drive seasonal label and packaging review, while considering the long-term portfolio plans and branding guidelines.
• Ensure regular reviews and updates of label and packaging plan, in line with commercial demand evolution and communicate necessary changes to procurement, sites and suppliers
• Ensure smooth approval process between relevant stakeholders, correct label/packaging version management, overall repository of current labels and up to date archiving.
• Follow up on execution of labels and packaging supply with plants and suppliers and flags any risk impacting the production or customer deliveries
• Ensure consistency and harmonization of process and design across existing and potential new crops for commercial, trials and foundation seeds.
• Work closely with EMEA Label & Packaging Planner to find synergies and opportunities for best practice sharing across the region, improving label & packaging designs and standardization across sites.
• Collaborate with the plant operations team and sites to assess and implement improvements for packaging, printing and labeling lines as well as systems to support harmonization across region as well as implementation of new technology and features.
• Regularly monitor production plans to guarantee direct materials availability
• Steer sourcing of direct materials to ensure right balance between low inventory levels, increasing stock-out risks and excessive inventory leading to write-offs from expiration or bans
• Drive real-time visibility of inventory of the direct materials for all Bayer/3rd party tollers
• Support the definition and regional implementation of a structured forecasting and in-sourcing process, connecting Seeds and CP planning teams, securing demand/supply of Bayer seeds growth products for our manufacturing sites for downstream application on Dekalb seeds
• Work closely with the EMEA Direct Materials Planner to find synergies and opportunities for best practice sharing across the region
• Work in close collaboration with Seed Applied Solution teams (taskforce/operations team) & planning teams in Europe & Africa to support testing, industrialization and launch of new seed treatments
• Manage and build supplier relationships aimed at improving supplier performance, agility and securing direct materials supply
• Support the definition of a formal process for intercompany direct materials purchases and collaborate with regulatory and trade and compliance teams to define a process that would allow quick & easier transfer of chemicals between different sites in case of emergencies
• Support regional optimization projects aimed at costing optimization and driving standardization in direct materials management across EMEA and just in time automated sourcing for seeds sites and tollers

• Strong business partnering skills - ability to drive decision making in cross-functional teams
• Analytical, can manage complexity, results oriented, continuous improvement
• Outstanding communicator, organizer, strong integrity and influencing skills
• Proficiency in English

• BA/MA degree or equivalent, preferably with focus on SCM or Logistics