Demand Planning and Innovation Excellence Lead

# Job - Demand Planning and Innovation Excellence LeadLondon,EnglandFull timeJR Job Description Demand Planning and Innovation Excellence Lead Location: 1HQ, London Fixed term contract until 31 December 2026 Closing Date: 10 April 2026 With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we're the world's leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you'll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future.Join us to create a career worth celebrating. About the function Our Supply Chain and Manufacturing team are problem-solvers, sourcing, producing, and delivering our much-loved brands to delight customers around the globe. Over half of Diageo's 30,000+ people work in Supply Chain and Manufacturing. It's an intricate and sophisticated operation that's the product of logistical, manufacturing, and technical collaborations.Our teams in 100 sites in over 30 countries cover production facilities, supplier relationships, customer collaborations and third-party agreements. We're committed to realizing our 'Society 2030: Spirit of Progress' goals, to protect the environment and support our farmers and suppliers. Whatever your skills and experience, we'll help you to thrive in our inclusive culture. About the role The Demand Planning & Innovation Excellence Lead is responsible for driving best-in-class demand planning processes, enhancing forecasting accuracy, and embedding innovation excellence across the supply chain. This role ensures that demand planning strategies are data-driven, customer-focused, and integrated with innovation processes to improve market responsiveness and operational efficiency. Key Responsibilities 1. Demand Planning Transformation & Capability Building Lead the transformation of demand planning processes by developing tools, training materials, and cheat sheets to enhance planning excellence with consumer and customer analytics. Build and execute continuous improvement roadmaps across African markets to increase IBP (Integrated Business Planning) maturity. Drive capability improvements through structured stakeholder training programs and coaching2. Forecasting Strategy & Accuracy Enhancement Develop and implement a robust forecasting strategy for the Africa region, ensuring alignment with market dynamics and business objectives. Enhance demand planning accuracy by integrating a depletion forecasting model into demand planning files, improving visibility on depletions, stock-in-trade (SIT), and their impact on shipment forecasts. Partner with commercial teams to refine forecast assumptions based on consumer, customer, and market insights.3. Innovation & Supply Chain Integration Improve end-to-end supply chain innovation planning by increasing regional visibility, embedding standardized processes, and managing exceptions efficiently. Ensure accountability across all functions by aligning demand planning with supply, commercial, and finance teams. Lead cross-functional collaboration to embed innovation excellence into planning processes, ensuring timely execution of product launches and market expansions.4. Data-Driven Decision-Making & Performance Management Leverage analytics and performance tracking tools to continuously refine demand planning accuracy and drive proactive decision-making. Standardize and automate reporting frameworks to improve forecast visibility and responsiveness. Identify and implement best practices in demand planning and innovation management to enhance business agility. Experience, skills & capabilities required Expertise in demand planning, forecasting, and IBP processes. Strong analytical skills with experience in customer and consumer insights integration. Proven track record of driving process improvements and capability building across diverse markets. Proficiency in forecasting tools (SAP IBP, APO, Excel, or similar systems). Ability to influence cross-functional teams and lead transformation initiatives. Strong understanding of IBP maturity frameworks and supply chain integration. Strong problem-solving and stakeholder management skills. Significant experience in demand planning, forecasting, and innovation management. Experience in FMCG, Beverage, or Consumer Goods industries is preferred. Working with us Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences and more.Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world. If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application. With over 200 brands sold in more than 180 countries, we're the world's leading premium drinks company. Every day, over 29,000 talented people come together at Diageo to create the magic behind our much-loved brands. From iconic names to innovative newcomers - the brands we're building are rooted in culture and local communities. Our ambition is to be one of the best performing, most trusted and most respected consumer products companies in the world.Our founders, such as Arthur Guinness, John Walker, and Charles Tanqueray, were visionary entrepreneurs whose brilliant minds helped shape the alcohol industry. And through our people, their legacy lives on. Join us, and you'll collaborate with talented thinkers, leaders, and makers from all corners of the world. Together, you'll innovate and push boundaries, shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future that we can all be proud of.With diversity at our core, we celebrate our people's unique passions, commitments and specialist skills. Because when varied voices, mindsets, and personalities come together, great ideas are born. In our supportive culture, your voice will be heard and you'll be empowered to be you. Just bring your ambition, curiosity and ideas, and we'll celebrate your work and help you reach your fullest potential. Primary Location: London,England