Role Overview
Nestlé is seeking a Customer Facing Supply Chain Manager for the Traditional Trade channel. In this role, you will be responsible for driving end-to-end Customer Facing Supply Chain excellence across clusters including East and Horn of Africa (EHOA), GZ, and South Africa (SA). You will integrate operational customer management with advanced analytics and insight generation, leading customer collaboration, service optimization, and the execution of the Order-to-Cash (O2C) strategy. Note: The posting mentions being based in Bryanston while being advertised for the Nairobi regional office.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Collaboration & Service Delivery
- Understand Customer’s KPIs, agree on targets, and report regularly against these targets.
- Raise awareness of the Customer's Supply Chain alignment to Nestlé’s Supply Chain to deliver efficiency and on-shelf availability.
- Ensure warehouse stocks and quality management are in place with key customers.
- Own Case Fill Rate (CFR), On-Shelf Availability (OSA), DCSA, and service performance for Traditional Trade.
- Lead joint roadmaps, customer engagements, and business reviews with Traditional Trade partners.
- Communicate proactively with customers regarding insights, risks, resolutions, and opportunities.
Analytical Excellence & Insights Leadership
- Provide visibility of key account inventories to facilitate discussions in Monthly Sales Reviews (MSR) and Monthly Business Plan Cycles (MBPC).
- Act as the internal voice of the customer in MBP meetings.
- Perform continuous pipeline, demand, and supply-risk analysis to support availability and conversion.
- Validate customer signals and enrich statistical forecasts with data-driven intelligence.
- Work with Sales to define joint improvement plans using CFSC methodologies (Joint Business Planning).
- Lead digital enablement for dashboards, visibility tools, and predictive analytics.
Efficiency & Continuous Improvement
- Act as the primary supply chain contact for high-level customer stakeholders.
- Identify business opportunities for value creation through CLER projects (e.g., Cost to Serve, Collaborative Planning).
- Develop and ensure compliance with a Market Service Strategy tailored to different customer needs.
- Drive the implementation of the Customer Service Plan and leverage GCSS for joint forecasting and service recovery.
- Prepare and complete LTT negotiations by consolidating calculations with FICO.
Cross-functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Act as a nexus between Supply Chain, Sales, Finance, and Regional Teams.
- Provide consolidated customer views for internal decision-making (NimCom, CCRs, ICP, etc.).
- Support onboarding and knowledge transfer for Traditional Trade-focused markets.
- Manage indirect reports for Replenishment Specialists and assist in closing month-end numbers.
Qualifications and Experience
- Degree in Supply Chain or a related field.
- 3 - 5 years or more of experience in Customer Service or cross-functional roles (Supply Chain, MS&S, Finance).
- Proven success in leading projects requiring commercial and supply chain knowledge.
- Experience in Demand & Supply Planning and Distribution/Materials Handling.
- Experience in Sales and/or Marketing.
- Working experience in project management for major change programs.
- 2-3 years of experience in Key Account Customer Stakeholder management.
- Strong presentation skills and intermediate proficiency in Excel.
