Demand Planner (Mandarin Speaker)

About the Job

The Demand Planner is a key driver in generating and managing accurate customer demand signals in Sanofi planning tools (Kinaxis). This position ensures the alignment of Business Units (BUs) and markets with Manufacturing and Supply (M&S) through collaboration with stakeholders at the market such as Commercial BUs, Regulatory, Finance and local Supply Chain (Demand Managers, Logistics and Customer Fulfilment/Engagement).

This is achieved by translating local conditions such as product life cycles, sales patterns and what-if scenarios in actionable data in our planning tools. Another element of the role is on continuous improvement through performance analysis and actions to help achieve the goals of the organization to supply products in a reliable and competitive way.

About Sanofi:

We’re an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system – and innovative pipeline – enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.

Main responsibilities

In close collaboration with key stakeholders, mainly the Demand Managers, BUs and upstream M&S planners:

• • Gather past and future demand factors (e.g., tenders, competition, market share, price changes, new/discontinued products, short shelf-life impacts, out-of-stock situations, S&OE impacts, promotion plans, sales history cleansing) from Business Units (BUs) and forecast/model their impacts on demand in planning tools
  • Integrate statistical forecasting with local market knowledge to enrich demand planning, accounting for deviations from statistical models, ensuring that statistical forecasts are only adjusted when we expect the accuracy increase
  • Ensure a strong focus on accurate master data in planning and ERP tools and proper use of demand planning parameters, such as code switches, disaggregation rules, phase in/out, sales attributes etc.
  • Analyze and question assumptions, consolidate sales forecasts from various markets, and ensure the coherence of the final plan.
  • Capture active and inactive opportunities in planning tools to enable scenrio planning, including supply constraints.
  • Oversee overall product supply status; prepare and lead weekly supply review meetings with clear articulation of current situation, risks, and mitigation plan to ensure supply continuity.
  • Manage end-to-end supply visibility from product release at manufacturing plant to daily shipment schedule tracking, including ETD / ETA validation for standard shipments and air freight.
  • Proactively monitor at-risk shipments, asses impact, develop mitigation actions to prevent stocks-outs, and communicate timely and accurate updates to key stakeholders.
  • Review significant deviations from forecast, budget, market trends, ensuring global data consistency.
  • Participate in the Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE) by delivering root cause analysis of demand plan changes in the short-term horizon and sharing supply risks received from GBU Supply Chain teams upstream.
  • Work towards continuously improving the objective of forecast accuracy to maximize OTIF to the client.
  • Analyze and track products at risk of destruction due to short shelf-life or lack of demand, and engage relevant stakeholders to set up and execute action plans
  • Conduct a Monthly Root Cause Analysis review of forecast deviations, Out-of-Stocks products to identify and implement actions to improve.
  • Periodically check data consistency in planning tools and data.
  • Work in coordination with Product Planners to ensure an effective communication of demand shifts to enable agile changes in the supply plan.
  • Participate in all the committees where decisions are taken about new products, new adoptions, discontinuations, stock at risk due to short shelf-life etc, ensuring a good understanding of volumes, formats and dates. Update the Demand plan accordingly in Planning tools.
  • Support the preparation and presentation of demand plans in IBP meetings.

About you

Skills/Expertise/Experience

• • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and min 3-5 years of experience in demand planning & supply planning.
  • Fluent English communication and writing skills
  • Fluent Mandarin / Cantonese communication is highly preferred

Preferred Skills/Expertise/Experience

• • Knowledge of pharmaceutical primary and secondary manufacturing processes preferred
  • Understanding of basic manufacturing processes and ability to apply to supply chain management and specifically in demand planning
  • Basic knowledge of regulatory processes and requirements an advantage
  • Skilled in scenario planning, risk / benefit analysis, contingency planning and problem solving
  • Strong willingness to drive change as well as good internal marketing and communication skills
  • Excellent systems (SAP and Kinaxis an advantage) skills and basic understanding of financial function

Competency Requirements

• • A high level of accountability and attention to details required
  • Demonstrated high standards of integrity, professionalism, and commitment
  • Good team facilitation and relationship building skills

Sanofi Values 

• Stretch to go beyond the level we have operated at up until now 
• Act in the interest of our patients and customers  
• Take action instead of waiting to be told what to do  
• Put the interests of the organization ahead of my own or those of our team

Better is out there. Better medications, better outcomes, better science. But progress doesn’t happen without people – people from different backgrounds, in different locations, doing different roles, all united by one thing: a desire to make miracles happen. So, let’s be those people.

At Sanofi, we provide equal opportunities to all regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, ability or gender identity.

Watch our ALL IN video and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion actions at sanofi.com!