Shenzhen Hub Planning Lead

Job Description :

About the Function

 

About the role

The SZ Hub Planning Leader is accountable for leading the end-to-end planning for the Shenzhen Hub, ensuring reliable supply to APAC markets while optimizing Service, Cost, cash and SLOB . The role also drives a strong team culture, develops planning capabilities, and builds a high-performing planning organization. The role plays a pivotal part in connecting market demand with our various supply sites, SZ rework operations and outbound deployment to markets, ensuring the Hub operates with strong planning discipline, visibility and execution.

Given the long end-to-end supply cycle, the role is critical in driving robust demand planning, market accountability and proactive risk management. The Planning Leader will establish clear ways of working across inbound and outbound planning, drive root cause analysis of demand and supply variances, challenge assumptions, and ensure risks and misses are communicated early with clear mitigation actions and ownership.

The role will also provide planning leadership for innovation and renovation activity, ensuring PIPO is actively managed throughout the product lifecycle and that project decisions do not create avoidable SLOB, service or cost risks.

Key Responsibilities:

1. End-to-End Hub Planning & Execution

• Lead the end-to-end planning process for the SZ Hub, covering inbound supply, rework requirements, finished goods availability and outbound supply to APAC markets.
• Develop, maintain and communicate a robust Master Planning / deployment plan aligned with market demand, inventory targets, operational capacity and logistics constraints.
• Ensure effective coordination between Supply sites, SZ Operations, Logistics and APAC Markets to secure the right product, in the right quantity and at the right time.
• Drive daily and weekly exception management, identifying potential shortages, delays, capacity constraints and excess inventory before they impact customer service.
• Ensure strong planning discipline and execution across Dry Goods, Finished Goods, Inbound and Outbound Planning.

2. Market Forecast Accountability

• Collaborate with Market DRP to understand forecast changes, demand drivers and market priorities, and translate these into supply, inventory and service implications.
• Proactively highlight where changes in demand, forecast volatility or late updates may impact service, inventory or SLOB, enabling joint mitigation and decision making.
• Establish clear visibility of demand changes and their impact on the Hub, ensuring timely alignment across Demand Planning, Supply Planning and Operations.
• Build a collaborative planning culture focused on early engagement, transparency and joint ownership of demand and supply risks.
• Work with Market DRP to continuously improve forecast quality, planning assumptions and end-to-end supply chain responsiveness.

3. Inbound Planning & UK Supply

• Own the inbound planning interface between UK Supply and the SZ Hub, ensuring requirements are aligned to market demand, inventory strategy and rework needs.
• Maintain clear visibility of inbound requirements, stock in transit and expected availability at SZ.
• Proactively manage changes in inbound requirements and identify risks arising from supply constraints, demand changes or late decisions.
• Partner with UK Supply and Logistics to optimise inbound flows, avoid unnecessary inventory build and protect service.

4. Outbound Planning & APAC Service

• Lead outbound planning from SZ to APAC markets, ensuring finished goods are allocated and dispatched in line with market priorities and service requirements.
• Balance competing market requirements and make fact-based allocation decisions based on demand, inventory availability, service risk and business priorities.
• Manage outbound exceptions, shortages and dispatch risks with clear escalation and mitigation.
• Ensure timely and transparent communication with markets and stakeholders when supply plans change or service is at risk.
• Continuously improve outbound planning reliability, visibility and execution.

5. Inventory, SLOB & PIPO Management

• Own Hub inventory health and ensure inventory is maintained at the right level to support service while minimising working capital and excess stock.
• Lead regular SLOB and ageing inventory reviews, identifying root causes and driving structural actions to prevent write-offs.
• Proactively manage PIPO (Phase-In / Phase-Out) across the product lifecycle, ensuring demand, supply and inventory plans remain aligned through transitions.
• Partner with relevant stakeholders to manage inventory risks arising from delistings, product changes, demand shifts and lifecycle events.
• Ensure early identification and mitigation of potential obsolete or excess stock, particularly where planning decisions or project timelines create risk.

6. Innovation & Renovation Planning

• Partner with Innovation and Renovation teams to ensure project plans are fully integrated into the Hub supply and inventory plan.
• Translate project timelines and market requirements into executable inbound, rework, inventory and outbound plans.
• Ensure phase-in and phase-out plans are aligned to avoid supply gaps, excess stock and obsolete inventory.
• Identify and communicate planning risks early and drive cross-functional mitigation actions.
• Ensure PIPO is actively governed throughout innovation and renovation projects and that supply readiness is built into project decision making.

7. Performance Management – Service, Inventory, SLOB & Cost

• Own and continuously improve the key SZ Hub planning KPIs: Service, Inventory, SLOB and Cost.
• Establish clear performance visibility through weekly health tracking, exception reporting and monthly KPI reviews.
• Lead root-cause analysis for performance gaps and ensure corrective and preventive actions have clear owners and timelines.
• Identify structural opportunities to improve service reliability, inventory efficiency, SLOB performance and planning cost.
• Provide clear, fact-based performance updates and recommendations to leadership and key stakeholders.

8. Team Leadership & Capability

• Lead and develop the SZ Hub planning function, creating clear accountability, strong collaboration and high standards of execution.
• Build capability across inbound, outbound, Rework, inventory, PIPO and exception management.
• Establish standard ways of working, governance routines and effective hand-offs across the planning process.
• Lead and coach the team to utilize data insights and systems effectively to anticipate risks, prevent disruptions, and proactively manage operational performance.
• Create a high-performance culture focused on ownership, transparency, continuous improvement and customer service.

9. Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Act as the key planning interface across APAC Markets, UK Supply, SZ Operations, Logistics, Innovation/Renovation and other relevant functions.
• Build strong alignment on demand, supply, inventory and service priorities while maintaining clear accountability across stakeholders.
• Communicate risks early and clearly, including the business impact, mitigation plan, required decisions and accountable owners.
• Constructively challenge stakeholders where demand or supply assumptions are inconsistent with agreed plans or create unacceptable service, inventory or SLOB risks.
• Drive effective escalation and decision making when trade-offs are required.
• undefined

10. Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure planning master data, parameters and system outputs accurately reflect business requirements and operating realities.
• Leverage SAP, APO/OMP and Business Intelligence tools to improve planning visibility, exception management and decision making.
• Drive standardisation, simplification and digitalisation of planning processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve planning accuracy, inventory deployment, reporting and overall planning efficiency.
• Use root-cause analysis and data-driven insights to deliver sustainable process improvement.

Experiences Required:

• Proven experience in end-to-end supply chain planning, preferably across manufacturing, distribution or regional hub operations.
• Experience in people leadership, stakeholder management and leading planning teams through change and complexity.
• Strong understanding of demand and supply planning, DRP/MPS, inventory management, logistics, customer service and product lifecycle management.
• Strong experience with SAP ECC/S4 HANA/APO/OMP.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with the ability to translate data into clear business decisions and actions.
• Exceptional influencing and stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to challenge senior stakeholders and hold markets accountable.
• Excellent communication skills – verbal, written and presentation – with the ability to communicate complex supply risks simply and effectively.
• Customer-centric mindset with a strong focus on service, cash, cost and operational excellence.
• Ability to work effectively in a complex, fast-paced and highly cross-functional environment.

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 crafting iconic drinks chosen for life’s moments. And it’s our people, with their different experiences, perspectives and talents, who make that possible. 

We value diversity in its broadest sense and want everyone to feel they can belong, contribute and strive for their personal best. You’ll work alongside people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives — challenging, supporting and learning from one another as one outstanding team. 

Together, we’re constantly learning and improving, combining the strength of our people, capabilities and iconic brands to raise the bar, grow and win. Wherever you join us, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute, make an impact and play your part in making life’s moments mean a little more.

Ready to bring your best? This could be your opportunity.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application. 

Recruitment Scam Warning 

Protecting candidates is very important to us. All communications regarding your application will come from an email address ending in @diageo.com. In our recruitment process, we'll never ask for money. 

Worker Type :

Fixed Term Contract (Fixed Term)

Primary Location:

Qianhai, Shenzhen City

Additional Locations :

Job Posting Start Date :

2026-09-02