Demand Planner – East & Southern Africa

Sun King is seeking a skilled and analytically driven Demand Planner to join its regional supply chain team, supporting operations across East and Southern Africa (ESA) — spanning approximately 8 markets. This is a high-impact role responsible for building accurate demand forecasts and orchestrating cross-functional planning processes that directly influence product availability, inventory health, and operational efficiency across the region.

The successful candidate will manage demand planning for a diverse product portfolio — including smartphones, televisions, and solar energy products — representing approximately USD 770 million in annual procurement volume. You will sit at the intersection of sales, supply chain, finance, and commercial operations, ensuring that market demand signals translate into actionable supply plans with measurable outcomes.

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve short, medium, and long-term demand forecasts for all ESA markets using historical sales data, seasonality trends, market intelligence, and promotional inputs.
• Facilitate monthly demand review meetings with cross-functional stakeholders including sales, marketing, finance, and country operations teams.
• Contribute to the regional Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) process, targeting 85%+ forecast accuracy consistently.
• Collaborate with global supply planning and procurement teams to align supply availability with market demand and drive zero stock-out performance across all markets.
• Identify and communicate demand gaps, supply risks, and inventory exposure, recommending timely mitigation actions to relevant teams.
• Monitor and report on key demand planning KPIs including forecast accuracy, service levels, inventory turns, working capital optimization, and revenue loss from stock shortages.
• Provide supply chain health check reports to management to inform decisions on ordering frequency, safety stock levels, and working capital requirements.
• Manage demand planning inputs for new product launches, discontinuations, and promotional campaigns to ensure readiness and alignment.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date demand planning data within ERP and forecasting systems.
• Work with local procurement teams to coordinate lead times and communicate business needs proactively, avoiding supply chain bottlenecks.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across forecasting tools, planning processes, and reporting capabilities.

• Demonstrate at least 4–6 years of hands-on experience in demand planning, supply chain planning, or inventory management — preferably within a fast-moving consumer goods, technology, or energy access environment.
• Apply advanced forecasting methodologies and translate complex data sets into actionable supply chain insights.
• Use ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or similar) and demand planning tools proficiently to maintain data integrity and generate planning outputs.
• Analyse sales trends, seasonality patterns, and market intelligence to improve forecast accuracy over time.
• Communicate clearly and influence cross-functional stakeholders — from country sales managers to global procurement leads — ensuring alignment between commercial plans and supply capabilities.
• Manage multiple priorities in a multi-market environment, maintaining attention to detail while working to tight deadlines.
• Demonstrate proficiency in Excel or data analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) for KPI tracking and reporting.
• Hold a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, or a related field; a professional certification (e.g., APICS CPIM/CSCP) is an added advantage.

Sun King offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and the scope of this regional role. Based on Kenyan market benchmarks for a senior supply chain professional managing multi-market operations, the estimated monthly gross salary range is KES 250,000 – KES 400,000. Final offer will reflect the candidate's experience and qualifications. Sun King also offers a performance-based incentive structure and a comprehensive benefits package aligned with its mission-driven culture.

Ideal candidate: You are a detail-oriented, data-driven supply chain professional who thrives in complex, multi-market environments. You have a proven track record of improving forecast accuracy, reducing stock-outs, and influencing cross-functional teams through credible analysis and clear communication. You are comfortable working with large procurement volumes and can balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution. Experience in emerging markets — particularly across East or Southern Africa — is a strong advantage.

Do not apply if: You have no direct experience in demand or supply planning roles, are not comfortable working with ERP systems and large data sets, or prefer a single-market, low-complexity environment. This role requires significant stakeholder management across time zones and functions — candidates who prefer siloed or purely operational roles may find the scope challenging.

• Visit Sun King's official careers page or the job platform where this posting is listed.
• Prepare and submit an updated CV highlighting your demand planning experience, tools used, and measurable outcomes achieved (e.g., forecast accuracy improvements, stock-out reduction).
• Include a brief cover letter explaining your experience managing multi-market supply chains and your approach to improving forecast accuracy.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial screening interview, followed by a technical assessment and panel interview.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Sun King is an equal opportunity employer.