Brand Planning Specialist

I am a Brand Planning Specialist ; I work with the Business Activation Lead to drive sales and operational success within my Business Unit. I collaborate closely with key stakeholders to develop accurate sales forecasts, ensuring alignment with division goals and fueling market share growth. By managing the intricacies of the sales planning process, including gross-to-net planning and trend analysis, I identify risks and opportunities to maximize the financial effectiveness of our commercial plans. My proactive collaboration with Supply Chain and Marketing ensures smooth execution of our Promo and Launch plans.
BRAND PLANNING TASKS
Achieve the Division’s Goals
- Collaborate with the Business Activation Lead and Key Account Managers to develop accurate sales forecasts for their Business Unit and align them with overall business goals. Contribute to win of market shares.
- Consolidate the sales planning of the Business Unit and manage the process of the gross to net planification for pre-budget, budget, trends and weekly calls. Identify risks and opportunities on the business. Aim to improve the financial equation of our commercial planification.
- Work with Supply and Customer Care on the anticipation, planification, delivery to improve fill rate and forecast accuracy. Is the commercial voice in the demand planning processes (Exec, Validation)
- Reconcile return provision with physical returns, provide return contracts to the client teams when needed

Oversee the shipment process for the Promo and Launches
- Collaborate with Marketing/Commercial in the pad process for sizing of promo and launches and effective planification of discontinuation.
- Manage retailer allocation through orderflow construction. Validate forecast vs plan and adjust retailer quantity if quantity missing/change.
- Capture notes at the project marketing meeting and cascade notes (including risk recap) and actions. Correlate risks with planned activation and communicate with the activation and KAM teams.
- Build strategic allocation per door of all promos and launches for all retailers. Create action plan for any quantities left over after a promotion has shipped, insure regular follow up on E&O for repurposing.
- Constant contact with customer service to ensure shipment. Report missing retailer POs or promo delay from the month to the RAS. Escalate sell out risks due to delay to the Business Activation Lead.

Collaborate with the Sales Administration Coordinator
- Communicate brand information in regard to promo launches to the Sales Admin - seasonal and recurring if any changes happen
- Own the price increase process for the Business Unit in validating the final price and list to communicate to the retailers. Coordinate with the Sales Admin for retailer communication.

BRAND PLANNING KPI
**Sales Performance & Growth**:

- Conso Net Sales: Achievement of the Business Unit objectives (catalogue and minoration)
- Market Share: beat the market and gain shares.

Promo & Launches Optimization
- E&O Management: achieve target of E&O reductions
- Reduction of returns: through improved allocations & accurate sizing

**Collaboration with internal partner**:

- Develop strong collaboration with the various team supply, marketing and commercial.

BRAND PLANNING KEY INTERACTIONS
This role requires strong collaboration and communication skills, working with various departments within L'Oréal. Here's a breakdown of the key interactions:

- BU, Business Activation Lead (BAL): Works to align on brand target during the process of Budget, Trend, and monthly calls, while ensuring the standardization of the tools and processes of the business planners of each BU.
- Business Planning Lead: Follow the lead of the Business Planning Lead on tool and process standardization
- Key Account Managers (KAM): Establish sales forecast per retailers while monitoring their achievements.
- Finance Manager: Work during Budget, trend, and call process to ensure alignment of the target and impact. Identifies opportunities to work on (catalogue, mino).
- Operation Team: Work with customer service to follow the shipment and achieving of target. Work with the supply team to ensure alignment of business and supply target.

BRAND PLANNING KEY SKILLSETS
Analytical and collaborative, with a strong sense of urgency and commercial acumen, robust understanding of relevant tools, processes, and financial sensitivities to drive solutions-oriented results.
BRAND PLANNING PROFILE
At least 3 years’ experience in a planification role or similar