Ass. Director, Integrated Business Planner - Valent U.S.A., LLC

Valent USA is looking for a Associate Director, Integrated Business Planner to join our team in San Ramon, CA.

Valent U.S.A. LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, engages in the development, registration, sales, and marketing of integrated technological solutions for crop production and pest management that deliver value for our customers and stakeholders. A leading crop protection firm serving the agricultural and non-crop products markets in North America, Valent products help growers produce safe and abundant food and fiber crops, and horticultural professionals improve the quality of life for their customers. The corporate motto, Products That Work, From People Who Care®, describes the company's business philosophy. Valent seeks out and provides customers with innovative and effective solutions to their production challenges. Our vision is to be the best company delivering integrated solutions of biorational and traditional crop protection solutions to our customers. Valent is dedicated to creating a world that is healthier and more comfortable, and that has a sustainable abundance of quality, affordable food, helping crops to be the ultimate renewable resource.

Description: 

Responsible for the activities, processes, and deliverables of Strategic Integrated Business Planning (IBP) for Valent USA to ensure that business financial risks and opportunities are quantified, decisions are made in timely manner, as well as measuring the performance of Marketing, Sales, Product Supply and Finance, with the goal in mind that the planning of these areas are synchronized with each other and aligned with the company's short and long-term strategy and financial plans. 

Principal Responsibilities: 

• Partner with Sales and Marketing to be able to measure the brand profitability on a monthly basis and in/out products versus the targets. Refences and leverages the Brand KPI with the objective to close brand profitability gaps and with KPI tracking to ensure products are launched on time and in full. 
• Ensure monthly sales forecast are in synch with EDI sales forecast and channel inventory management plans. 
• Measure monthly accuracy of sales forecast, production plans and invoice sales to >90% accuracy to improve forecast accuracy, action plans, and resolution on time. 
• Measure monthly sales business units/area performance versus the target. Primary reference will be the Sales KPIs with the objective to close sales region’s/business profitability gap. 
• Measure monthly capacity to demand and the product/supply availability vs. sales forecast, pursuing results greater than 90% accuracy with the objective of ensuring product availability, inventory management and resource allocations. 
• Ensure Marketing Program accruals are estimated on a timely basis based on monthly sales forecast and its strategic direction with Marketing, Sales and Finance. 
• Ensure a minimum 24 months unbiased rolling forecast in volume and value. In doing so, the Supply Chain team can plan the resources of raw materials, packaging, and formulation line-time for the long-term business needs while managing it to CCC targets. 
• Ensure monthly visibility of quantified risks and opportunities within the areas of Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain and Finance. Through R&Os Bridge and estimated year-end figures, challenge stakeholders to make timely decisions and prioritization to deliver the financial and business targets. 
• Ensure monthly evaluation of the IBP process to improve Business Planning and Operational Excellence levels (people, process, and tools). 
• Ensure Continuous Improvement plans for operational/feeder meetings linked to IBP. The goal is to be increasingly efficient (fewer meetings, do more with less, decentralization, automation), to raise the process to next maturity level. 
• Identify strategic ideas, business models, and investments to advance strategic IBP and optimized business results.

Qualifications: 

• Degree in Business, Engineering, Supply chain management, or related field: Advanced degree preferred 
• Minimum 8 years in the management position leading planning processes. 
• Minimum 4 years working in the areas of sales & demand planning, finance planning, supply planning within the Agribusiness. 
• Must understand how demand is generated, and its levers within the agrochemical market. Seasonality, cost volatility, effects of the exchange rate on costs, innovations, price elasticity, sellout, and stock influence in the channel. 
• Minimum 2 years of experience developing, creating, and leading KPI dashboards/trackers and its derived action plans. 
• Proven experience in business analysis/presenting/communicating/influencing people at same level and higher-level leaders. Candidate should be able to give concrete examples of the results of their influence, using facts, data, and business cases. 
• Experience in leading change management projects. Candidate should be able to give concrete examples in which he/she led a project: including the goal statement, reach, project milestones, and project results. Should review mistakes, failures, and learnings to inform future change management and business decisions. 

Physical Demands and Work Environment (OFFICE Position) 

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
• Physical Demands include constant sitting, walking, standing, simple grasping and fine manipulation with hands; frequent bending at the neck and waist; and occasional squatting, climbing, kneeling, crawling, twisting at the neck and waist, power grasping, pushing, and pulling with hands, reaching above shoulder level, lifting, and carrying up to 25 lbs. 
• Work Environment includes exposure to or working in or around equipment and machinery including a computer keyboard and mouse. 
• Frequency Definitions: Constant = Over 40% / Frequent = Up to 40% / Occasional = Up to 10%