Planning CoE & International Director

The SunRice Group is an Australian ASX-listed branded food group, comprising multiple businesses, assets and operations across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, the United States, The Pacific Islands and Asia. SunRice was built by the Australian rice industry over many decades, and today is one of Australia’s leading branded food exporters, with approximately 2,000 employees and operations in 11 countries. SunRice is a great place to work, providing a real opportunity for passionate people to make a difference.About This RoleAt SunRice we have a bold Growth agenda as we look to become “everyone’s favourite rice food company”.In support of that journey as the Planning CoE & International Director, you will drive the transformation and continuous improvement of Sales & Operations Planning across our fast-paced, multi-region FMCG organization.As we work to deliver our 2030 strategy, this strategic leadership role will be responsible for transforming from a traditionally supply-led to a consumer-led organisation, and accelerate the SunRice Group S&OP towards best in class through developing and embedding best-in-class demand and supply planning practices, leading system implementation, leveraging emerging technology, and building organizational capability.The role requires strong cross-functional and divisional collaboration to align commercial, supply chain, and finance teams around a unified planning vision that supports agility, service excellence, and cost efficiency.Your Responsibilities Will IncludeTransforming our S&OP process across the Group through the design and implementation of standardised demand and supply planning processes tailored to SunRice dynamics across multiple regions and divisions. You will leverage technology, including AI where appropriate, to deliver simplification and automation throughout the process.Demand Planning Partner with commercial, marketing, and supply chain teams to drive forecast accuracy and responsiveness to promotional and seasonal demand shifts. Integrate demand sensing tools and techniques to enhance short-term forecast responsiveness and accuracy. Leverage real-time data sources (e.g., POS, syndicated data, digital signals) to detect demand shifts and inform planning decisions Drive innovation in demand planning through AI/ML-enabled forecasting and scenario modelling. Supply Planning Developing robust supply planning models that balance service, cost, and inventory. Driving capacity planning and production scheduling alignment with demand signals. Managing supply constraints and risk mitigation strategies across internal and external networks. Enhancing responsiveness to demand variability through agile replenishment and scenario planning. Lead initiatives to optimize inventory levels, service performance, and cost-to-serve across diverse product categories and geographies. Collaboration Act as a central liaison between commercial, supply chain, finance, and IT teams to ensure S&OP processes are aligned and integrated. Facilitate cross-divisional planning forums to drive consensus on demand, supply, and financial plans. Champion collaborative decision-making and scenario planning to support strategic business goals and mitigate risks. Monitor and drive performance across key KPIs including Forecast Accuracy (FA) / Forecast Bias, Case Fill Rate / On-Time In-Full (OTIF), Inventory Days of Supply / Stock Cover, Obsolescence / Write-offs, Service Level vs. Cost Trade-offs. Play a role in key supply chain initiatives in support of 2030 strategy in markets where we are expanding Mentor and coach team members, supporting career development and succession planning. To Be Successful In This Role You Will Have Experience: 10+ years of experience in FMCG supply chain planning, with deep expertise in S&OP and both demand and supply planning Education: Bachelor level degree in Business, Supply Chain or equivalent Skills: Experience with advanced S&OP planning tools (SAP preferred) Proven success in leading global or multi-region planning transformations and system implementations Deep understanding of FMCG-specific planning KPIs and operational drivers Excellent communication, facilitation, and change management capabilities Experience in managing and developing people Attributes: Strategic and hands-on leader with a passion for operational excellence Influencer and collaborator who thrives in complex, multi-stakeholder environments Committed to building capabilities and driving sustainable values Eligibility: Full working rights in Australia (no sponsorship available). Perks Include! Corporate discounts across gym memberships, Bupa Health insurance, travel, car rental & home removalists Access to staff allowances of SunRice products weekly! Banking benefits with our partnership with CommBank If you are ready for the next step in your career and this sounds like the opportunity for you, please apply below!All correspondence will be dealt with in strict confidence.SunRice is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. SunRice will consider qualified applicants for employment based on their merit, individual skills, qualifications and other appropriate criteria relevant to the role for which they are applying.