Sales Planning Manager

About the role

We are looking for a Sales Planning Manager to lead commercial planning for Dyson Germany, based in our Cologne office. This role sits at the intersection of Sales, Finance, Demand Planning and Supply Chain, helping align commercial ambition with operational execution.

As the unbiased owner of the Germany sales outlook, you will bring together sell-in, sell-out, stock, availability, promotions, launches and market trends to identify risks, unlock opportunities and drive better decisions. You will challenge assumptions, influence senior stakeholders and ensure commercial ambition is supported by an executable plan.

You will partner closely with Demand Planning and Supply Chain to ensure customer, category and market insights are reflected in business forecasts, stock and availability plans. Together, you will provide clear visibility of risks, opportunities and the actions needed to deliver the plan.

What you’ll be responsible for

Planning and forecast ownership

• Own the Germany sales forecast and latest estimate process across our key retailers.
• Support monthly, quarterly and annual planning cycles, aligning commercial ambition with financial and supply plans.
• Build accurate bottom-up forecasts using historical performance, market trends and inputs from Sales and Marketing.
• Drive scenario planning and gap-to-target recovery actions across volume and value.
• Establish one trusted version of the sales outlook, with clear assumptions, risks and opportunities.

Business performance and commercial decision-making

• Lead weekly and monthly performance reviews, including in-month progress, forecast changes and root cause analysis.
• Translate market share, sell-in, sell-out, trade stock and profitability data into clear actions for Germany leadership.
• Challenge forecast assumptions and customer growth plans using data and commercial insight.
• Coordinate cross-functional action to close performance gaps and support profitable growth.
• Create concise, decision-ready reporting that makes clear what changed, why it changed and what needs to happen next.

Availability, allocation and inventory

• Partner with Demand Planning and Supply Chain to improve forecast accuracy and stock availability
• Own the commercial view of allocation and replenishment priorities across customers.
• Monitor trade stock by customer and channel, balancing sell-in and replenishment to maximise sell-out.
• Identify supply and availability risks early, quantify the impact and coordinate mitigation plans.

Launch, promotion and portfolio planning

• Lead commercial planning for new product launches, promotional activity, gifts with purchase and key trading moments.
• Build launch forecasts and budgets, assess readiness and track performance after launch.
• Use performance data to recommend portfolio changes by customer where relevant.
• Support long-term channel and retail planning with analysis of growth opportunities and investment choices.

Planning transformation and business partnering

• Act as the key commercial planning partner for the Sales Team, closely connected with Finance, Demand Planning and Supply Chain.
• Lead improvements to planning routines, governance, reporting and ways of working.
• Drive a culture of data-led business management with strong ownership and planning discipline.
• Support deployment and adoption of global planning tools and solutions in Germany.

What success looks like

• The Germany forecast is trusted, transparent and understood across the business.
• Risks and opportunities are visible early, with clear owners and actions.
• Leadership discussions focus on decisions rather than data reconciliation.
• Forecast accuracy, inventory productivity and availability improve through stronger routines and root cause action.
• Customer, category and channel plans connect clearly to the total Germany outlook.
• New launches and promotions are supported by robust forecasts, stock plans and post-activity learning.

About you

• Proven experience in Sales Planning, Commercial Planning, Demand Planning, Revenue Growth Management or Commercial Finance, ideally in consumer goods, retail or a technology-led business.
• In-depth knowledge of forecasting and planning, with a record of delivering results in a complex, fast-moving environment.
• Strong commercial judgement and the confidence to challenge senior stakeholders constructively.
• Advanced analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to simplify complex data into clear recommendations.
• Strong understanding of sell-in, sell-out, inventory, availability, promotions, launches and P&L drivers.
• Advanced Excel capability; experience with SAP, Power BI, planning systems or statistical forecasting tools is an advantage.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Industrial Engineering or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Clear communication in English with the ability to influence across functions and levels. German is a plus.
• Resilient, pragmatic and comfortable prioritising multiple demands at pace.
• An ownership mindset. You challenge the status quo, solve problems and move the business towards a decision.
  
  
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Dyson is an equal opportunity employer. We know that great minds don’t think alike, and it takes all kinds of minds to make our technology so unique. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other any other dimension of diversity.