Category Planning Specialist

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.

You have always loved it, now be part of it!

Ferrero's North American headquarters is searching for a Category Planning Specialist to join our team. A critical role on our team, we're looking for senior candidates with a background in Production Planning and/or Category Planning. A highly strategic role, you will guarantee the production and stock planning in both the short to long term, through the analysis of the sales plans, available stocks, capacity constraints, and eventual operational constraints (packaging, supply network, etc.). Your scope will also include ensuring the maximization of service level to markets, the correct management of stock coverage in relation to the defined freshness targets, through the development of the most suitable planning process for the Group Plants and supply chain.In addition to the Category Planning aspect of this position, your role will include defining the allocation of production among the facilities (internal factories) or proposing out-sourcing.

This position is HYBRID requiring 3 days in-office and reports to the Category Planning Director.

PRODUCTION ALLOCATION

• Defines the production allocation (Qty/ SKU/ lines) to the different Plants, based on available technologies, production capacity and specific constraints, optimizing industrial / supply cost variables
• Ensures the planning of budget volumes on the production lines, though a detailed analysis of production and supply chain constraints, proposing possible re-allocations, highlighting possible criticalities and providing a macro plan for the manpower consumption
• Supports the evaluation of in-sourcing and out-sourcing

CONSISTENT CATEGORY PRODUCTION PLANNING

• Ensures the consistency of the planning by category (e.g. pure local categories)
• Ensures the creation of production planning sharing operating constraints (packaging, supply network, etc.) with the product and procurement functions
• Is the ultimate responsible of the mid-term production of the category along the operations plan definition
• Supports Operating Planners along in case of criticalities and in managing arbitrage process (i.e. shortages, unexpected reduction in production capacity, etc.)

CAPACITY ANALYSES

• Is the entry-point for any request of capacity analyses coming from outside the operations
• Runs capacity analyses till 3 years considering the existing assets
• Engages or re-direct to Operations Development teams in case any capacity analysis requires investments
• Analyzes the product innovations and defines the appropriate golden rules
• Defines the impact of new SKUs in the existing portfolio, update rules and help continuous harmonization

• Bachelor's Degree
• 4-7 years of relevant work experience in Category Planning
• Strong communication skills
• Influential & excellent interpersonal skills in relation with senior management & crossfunctionalstakeholders
• Analytical mindset
• Proactive attitude, high level of autonomy in driving deliverables to execution
• MS Office package (mainly in Power Point and Excel)
• SAP APO, ECC, IBP and BW
• Production scheduling & Material management processes
• Global Supply Chain & Plants knowledge
• S&OP Leadership experience

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.

#FNA

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.

Ferrero N.A. provides equalemployment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.