Demand Planning Manager

Role overview

The Demand Planning Manager will take the lead in building, reviewing, publishing, and refining product demand forecasts across short-, medium-, and long-range planning horizons. This position translates the business strategy into practical demand plans through close collaboration, supporting supply chain planning and integrating customer demand plans into the KFC business via joint business planning.

The role covers the full BU Africa region and all relevant Yum! brands.

Key responsibilities

• Develop baseline demand forecasts at menu-board item level for short-, medium-, and long-term planning.
• Coordinate promotional forecasting at menu-board item level.
• Partner with Marketing and Finance to consolidate, refine, and release the overall demand plan in the required business views, such as product, region, or category.
• Track and measure forecast accuracy at both detailed and category level.
• Use forecast analysis to generate insights that strengthen supply chain performance and improve proactive planning.
• Support Supply Planning with management of short-dated stock.
• Work with Marketing and Finance to evaluate how mix changes affect profitability and supply planning.
• Contribute to the Annual Operating Plan by providing longer-term demand analysis to support supply chain capacity decisions.
• Manage demand plans for new product introductions and support delivery of key KPIs.
• Help improve service levels by working closely with supply planning and 3PL teams.
• Share information and coordinate work across functions and stakeholders.
• Bring market intelligence into the demand planning process.
• Coordinate cross-functional work related to demand levers.
• Lead the resolution of day-to-day supply and demand mismatches across functions.
• Perform root cause analysis on major forecast variances and support business, marketing, supply planning, and production strategy improvements.
• Drive integration of demand plans into the KFC business through joint business planning.
• Work with Supply Planning and Category teams to ensure the right stock is positioned correctly at regional and DC level.
• Balance multiple variables to reduce overall forecast error.
• Review historical trends, research demand drivers, prepare forecast inputs, build statistical models, and assess forecast outcomes.
• Work with Supply Planning Managers on new items, transitions, and discontinuations.
• Generate KPIs to monitor demand expectations and trigger corrective action when needed.
• Assess risks to supply and demand variability with Supply Planners and identify mitigation opportunities.
• Continuously improve the demand planning strategy and roadmap in line with industry standards and best practices.
• Design and execute demand planning strategies that leverage the scale of Yum! brands for competitive advantage.
• Develop a digitization strategy for demand and supply chain planning to enable end-to-end automation and improve supply chain efficiency.

Communication and collaboration

Regular interaction is required with Marketing and Finance teams to align on the total business demand plan, close volume gaps, and adjust plans to exceed targets. The role also works closely with Supply Planning teams to convert demand plans into reliable supply plans that can be communicated to 3PL partners and suppliers, improving customer service levels.

Problem solving, judgement, and innovation

This role involves resolving forecast disagreements, improving forecast accuracy, handling short-term gap-filling actions, and addressing master data inconsistencies. While some processes already exist, the role is expected to create more agile, comprehensive, and collaborative methods to solve these challenges.

The position requires sound judgement when challenging forecast assumptions, recommending changes to the planning cycle, and approving amendments to product master data as the custodian/owner. It also calls for a critical review of current demand planning and master data processes, with recommendations to improve overall effectiveness and support innovation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, or Science.
• At least 6 to 8 years of experience in demand planning.
• Statistics certification.
• Strong forecasting capability and advanced Excel skills.
• Ability to handle complexity and perform effectively under pressure.
• Strong analytical, strategic, and business intelligence mindset.
• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to manage conflict constructively.
• Comfort with process and systems thinking, plus a willingness to innovate.

Additional information

No salary or stipend details were provided. No specific number of openings, start date, or application deadline was mentioned.