About us

Location: BristolGrade: GG5A critical new role is being created within the European Region managing the Integrated Business Planning program (IBP) across the Region, reporting to the Regional Finance director with a dotted line to the Regional Supply Chain Business Partner. This role will close work together with the global IBP team and the Clusters and will manage and facilitate the implementation and continuous improvement of IBP across the European Region.

The role

The embedding and ongoing improvement of the IBP framework is critical to the success of Imperial Brands long term strategic plans by ensuring efficient and effective delivery of commercial goals aligned with our forecasting, global supply chain / operational and financial plans. This leader is responsible for implementing best in class Region-wide Integrated Business processes, systems, and methodologies. This role is mission critical as it works in a concerted and highly matrixed engagement with all functions – commercial, supply chain, and corporate functions – as well as our global business to deliver the business results accordingly, and exceeding targets. This role brings analytical rigor and visibility to all critical business decisions, as the incumbent will ensure improved decision making with accurate and accessible data driven analytics.

Key accountabilities

• Leading IBP across the Region: Create, implement and lead the regional integrated business planning process, ensuring seamless coordination across all major business functions including Supply Chain / Operations, Commercial Functions, and Enabling Functions by leveraging quantitative and qualitative insights to inform strategic alignment, develop roadmaps, and define prioritization.
• Ensuring effective IBP implementation within the Clusters and Coaching Cluster IBP Leads & CLTs around optimizing IBP behaviours, processes and tool utilization.
• Ongoing Engagement: Proactively engage with all functions and conduct a deep dive analysis into processes, procedures, metrics, ways of working, decision making, insights, and capabilities, to create a comprehensive, data-based strategy to enhance efficiency and effectiveness and continuous improvement for all teams. Collaboration across the IBP phases of Product, Demand, Supply and Reconciliation are key to success.
• Provide insights and transparency: Curate key elements, information, and insights within the IBP framework to deliver on ITGB net revenue and operating profit ambition.
• Facilitate decision making: Enable improved decision making based on accurate and accessible data – forecasting, budgeting, cash flow investment, demand planning, S&OP, inventory, etc., - to highlight critical issues, trade-offs, and necessary decisions for scenario planning and alignment. Examine the effects of different risk and opportunity scenarios on the demand forecast and planning.
• Measuring impact: Measure effectiveness of S&OP through significant returns, such as increased revenue, profitability, reduction of cost and waste, and ensure risks are highlighted and addressed in a timely manner.
• Stakeholder management: Provide expert consultation and partnership with senior leadership, stakeholders, and extended teams on strategy, areas of opportunities, and organizational transformation and change management.
• Lead towards Class A IBP implementation: Lead the implementation, assimilation, adaptation, and long-term sustenance of the Oliver Wight IBP framework within the European business- working with both Global and Clusters.
• Influence strategic direction: Drive and influence outcomes of commercial strategy while engaging top-down and across key commercial leaders. Develop insightful and compelling presentation materials to drive key IBP cycle meetings and engagement of senior leadership.
• Communication and behaviours: Effectively communicates the organization’s strategy, goals, and behaviours to team members and provides leadership, coaching, and guidance aligned to our company culture. Responsible for fostering a positive and collaborative work environment and supporting the development of team members by role modelling behaviours and driving performance standards.

Skills & experience

• Leadership:Ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve common goals.
• Collaboration:Strong ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders.
• Strategic Thinking:Ability to think strategically and align IBP processes with business objectives.
• Adaptability:Flexibility to adapt to changing business environments and priorities.
• Detail-Oriented:Attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy in data analysis and reporting.
• High level of Process Governance and Project Management skills
• Bachelor’s degree in business management, or related field of study and 10+ years related work experience.
• Track record and proven ability to manage cross-functional program teams and understanding all aspects of a commercial organisation incl Marketing, Supply Chain and P&L
• Excellent working knowledge of managing constrained project plans and managing its critical path
• Full understanding of corporate financials, P&L and cashflow
• Proactive, empathic and transparent, collaborative leadership style • Strong analytical, problem-solving capabilities, and comfortable with uncertainty
• Excellent oral, written communication and interpersonal skills
• High commercial awareness
• Strong independent strategic planner
• Ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity
• Proven track record in managing commercial processes and P&L
• Effectively planning, managing, monitoring and reporting on multiple regional projects simultaneously
• Building strong collaborative and influential relationships with a range of international stakeholders, without having formal authority
• Experience of successfully coordinating remote teams
• Effectively managing and escalating risks in complex, pioneering projects
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience with Integrated business planning