Assistant Planning Manager

Life tastes better with ice cream

With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.   We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world. Everybody loves ice cream. And as the world’s biggest pure‑play ice cream company, we have the scale and ambition to make a real difference. 

What truly sets us apart is how we work. 

We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high‑performance, collaborative and focused on getting things done. 

We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better.  

The role The Assistant Manager- Planning is responsible for the day-to-day operational excellence and delivery of the Forecast-to-Plan (F2P) lifecycle across the multiple regions. This role acts as the critical bridge between global process standards and regional execution, ensuring that the Third-Party Service Provider (3PSP) performs planning activities at the keystroke level with precision, speed, and alignment to business goals. The Operations Lead focuses on "running the engine"—managing the vendor relationship, troubleshooting regional supply chain bottlenecks, and ensuring that demand forecasting, supply planning, and S&OP cycles are executed accurately What you'll be responsible for

1. Operational Oversight & Vendor Management 3PSP Coordination: Act as the primary point of escalation and coordination for the 3PSP vendor; ensuring their delivery of demand forecasting, supply planning, and inventory management meets all contractual requirements. Keystroke-Level Governance: Monitor the quality of the vendor’s execution within planning systems (e.g., SAP IBP, Kinaxis), ensuring data entry and process steps align with the Global Process Owner’s (GPO) standards. Service Delivery: Oversee the timely completion of regional planning cycles, including the weekly/monthly drumbeat for Demand and Supply reviews.
2. Regional Performance & Execution KPI Accountability: Own the regional delivery of F2P metrics for EU, specifically: Forecast Accuracy, Forecast Bias, Inventory Health (DIO), and On-Time In-Full (OTIF) service levels. Operational Reviews: Lead weekly and monthly operational performance reviews with the 3PSP and regional stakeholders to address variances and drive corrective actions. Exception Management: Proactively identify and resolve regional supply-demand imbalances, coordinating between the vendor and local markets to mitigate stock-outs or excess inventory.
3. Process Localization & Compliance Standardization Adherence: Ensure the operations remain 100% aligned with the global F2P framework designed by the GPO, minimizing "local-only" deviations unless business-critical. Documentation & Knowledge: Maintain regional operational playbooks and ensure the 3PSP keeps all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Desktop Procedures (DTPs) updated and accurate. Audit & Controls: Ensure all planning activities in the region comply with internal controls, SOX requirements, and data privacy standards.
4. Technology & Tactical Enablement System Utilization: Ensure the 3PSP is fully utilizing the capabilities of SAP S/4HANA and planning platforms; identifying technical training gaps or system glitches that hinder regional performance. User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Lead regional UAT for any new system deployments or upgrades, ensuring that EU-specific market nuances are captured before "Go-Live." Data Integrity: Oversee the hygiene of master data (lead times, safety stocks, MOQs) managed by the vendor to ensure planning outputs are reliable.
5. Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Alignment Regional Bridge: Act as the operational liaison between Commercial teams, Regional Finance, and the Global GPO team. S&OP Integration: Facilitate the regional S&OP/IBP forums, ensuring the vendor provides the necessary data transparency and scenario modeling to support executive decision-making. Conflict Resolution: Resolve operational trade-offs between commercial demand and supply constraints.

We're looking for someone who

​​ Experiences & Qualifications    University degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field. 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain operations, with a heavy focus on Demand and Supply Planning. Significant track record managing 3PSPs or BPO partners in a high-volume, keystroke-level environment. High "Super-User" comfort level with SAP S/4HANA and advanced planning tools (e.g., SAP IBP, Kinaxis, or OMP). Ability to dissect complex datasets to identify the root cause of forecast bias or inventory stock-outs. Experience navigating the diverse market landscape of multiple markets and managing stakeholders across different time zones and languages.

What you'll get

Alongside meaningful work and strong development, we offer a reward package that typically includes

Market-competitive pay and performance related rewards Flexible ways of working Support for health, wellbeing and life outside of work Time off to rest and recharge Ongoing learning and development opportunities Specific benefits vary by location

#TMICC

Why join us?

This is a place for people who are passionate about ice cream and are growth obsessed - both for the business and for themselves. People who act like an owner and drive our business end-to-end. People who are driven by success to deliver more than we ever thought we could! 

You’ll thrive here if you value an inclusive culture, with low ego and hierarchy - and if you’re excited to continuously learn and challenge how we work, using digital, data, and new thinking to push us forward.

• Roles with real accountability and visible impact
• Free to move fast, experiment and challenge how things are done
• Continuous learning and development as the business grows
• Reward linked to performance and contribution.

Your career here is shaped by what you deliver, as you work across functions and markets and grow with the business.

Ready to build the future of Ice Cream?

If this sounds like the place where you'd thrive, we'd love to hear from you. Apply online and share your CV. We'll review your application and be in touch with the next steps.

If you are an individual with a disability and require assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please let your Talent Acquisition Partner know.

Additional information

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.