S&OP Finance Analyst (Southern Africa)

About the role

Unilever is seeking an S&OP Finance Analyst to lead the Sales and Operations Planning forecasting process for Southern Africa. The role will own key forecasting systems, drive scenario planning, and act as the central integrator between finance, commercial, and systems teams to enable insight‑led decision making.

Key responsibilities

• Own and coordinate the quarterly S&OP forecasting cycle, ensuring alignment across business groups and stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain commercial scenarios (volume, price, mix) to support leadership decisions.
• Challenge assumptions to improve forecast accuracy and credibility while meeting strict timelines.
• Act as the business owner and go‑to expert for GCUT and forecasting tools, driving continuous improvement and automation.
• Lead adoption of advanced analytics and machine learning solutions to enhance forecasting capability.
• Translate forecasts into clear commercial insights, highlighting risks and opportunities.
• Partner with finance, supply chain, and commercial teams to interpret results and guide decision‑making.
• Coordinate across Finance, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Global teams to ensure strong governance and communication throughout the S&OP process.

Required profile

• Strong analytical mindset with experience in financial forecasting and scenario planning.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross‑functional teams and senior stakeholders.
• Proactive attitude to identify inconsistencies and drive alignment between financial and operational data.

Required skills

• Oracle Forecasting and Reporting
• Advanced Analytics
• Machine Learning
• GCUT forecasting tool