Head of Supply Chain – Africa

About BIC World

BIC World is a community of brands dedicated to creating ingeniously simple and joyful products that have been part of hearts and homes for over 75 years. The company is committed to growing its iconic and innovative brands by reimagining everyday essentials in new, sustainable and responsible ways.

The culture encourages a "roll up your sleeves and get the job done" mindset, where self-starters, problem solvers and innovative thinkers can thrive and take ownership of their careers.

Job Purpose and Scope

The Head of Supply Chain Africa provides strategic and operational leadership for the region's end-to-end supply chain, covering demand management, market and factory supply planning, customer service, inventory, logistics, warehousing, import/export and distribution. The role defines and delivers the Africa supply chain strategy in support of the region's growth ambitions, ensuring product availability and service excellence while maintaining strong control of inventory, cash, costs and operational risks.

As a key member of the Africa Leadership Team, the Head of Supply Chain is a strategic business partner to the General Manager and cluster leaders. The role establishes clear regional governance, strengthens supply chain capabilities across the clusters, develops a high-performing and engaged organization, and ensures close alignment between Africa's business priorities and BIC global manufacturing and supply chain functions.

Scope and Complexity

• Five clusters: North Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, South Africa and East Africa, with different business models, customer channels, regulations and infrastructure maturity.
• Four manufacturing sites: Tunisia, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, alongside imported finished goods and materials from global sources.
• A mix of subsidiaries, distributors, third-party logistics providers, warehouses, co-packing operations and cross-border flows.
• Regional accountability for service, inventory, supply risk, logistics cost and the supply chain contribution to profitable growth.

Principal Accountabilities

1. Strategy and business partnership

• Define the Africa supply chain strategy and multi-year roadmap, aligned with the regional business plan and global supply chain direction.
• Translate growth priorities into supply, capacity, inventory, distribution and investment plans; challenge assumptions and present choices to the Africa Leadership Team.
• Act as the senior supply chain business partner to the Africa General Manager, cluster general managers, Finance, Commercial, Marketing, Manufacturing and other functions.
• Set the regional operating model, governance and ways of working across clusters, factories and central teams.

2. S&OP / IBP and integrated planning

• Own regional S&OP/IBP governance, including demand, supply and executive reviews, with clear decisions, actions and escalation routes.
• Ensure market and factory planning are connected across short-, medium- and long-term horizons, including capacity, materials, production, deployment and inventory.
• Provide consolidated supply chain inputs to the annual operating plan and forecast cycles, covering outlook, risks, costs, inventory, capacity and capital needs.
• Improve forecast discipline and scenario planning with Commercial and Finance, with a focus on launches, promotions, seasonality and supply constraints.
• Maintain an Africa-wide view of supply gaps, capacity constraints, logistics disruptions, regulatory risks and single-source exposure.
• Resolve major cross-cluster or cross-site constraints and escalate decisions that require regional or global intervention.

3. Service, inventory and operational performance

• Set regional targets and govern performance for service, order fulfilment, inventory, slow-moving and obsolete stock, forecast accuracy, logistics cost and project delivery.
• Maintain a single regional dashboard with consistent KPI definitions and reliable reporting; turn performance gaps into owned recovery plans.
• Ensure effective customer service and order management processes, with service policies matched to customer and channel needs.
• Balance product availability, working capital and cost through appropriate inventory policies, safety stocks and replenishment rules.

4. Supply planning

• Provide functional leadership for supply planning across the four Africa factories and ensure alignment between manufacturing plans and market requirements.
• Act as the senior interface between Africa markets, manufacturing sites, global sources and other regional supply chain teams.
• Sponsor capacity, productivity, localization and network-change programs, supported by clear business cases and implementation governance.

5. Logistics, distribution and cost management

• Set the Africa logistics and distribution agenda across inbound freight, intercompany movements, warehousing, outbound transport and distributor flows.
• Govern freight and distribution costs against budget and net sales, and sponsor cost-reduction programs without compromising service, quality or compliance.
• Regularly review the logistics network and service model, including 3PL and distributor performance, route choices, warehouse capacity and customer lead times.
• Ensure suitable contracts, service-level agreements and performance reviews are in place with factories, 3PLs, distributors and other key partners; lead major negotiations within the function's scope.
• Ensure warehousing, distribution, co-packing and transport activities comply with company standards and applicable health, safety, quality and environmental requirements.

6. Process, systems and improvement

• Set common regional processes, data standards, KPI calculations and controls while allowing justified local requirements.
• Document key processes, cross-functional responsibilities and service agreements, and ensure adoption across clusters and factories.
• Sponsor supply chain systems and data improvements across the tools used at BIC (ERP, planning tools).
• Build a disciplined improvement and project management culture; govern the regional project portfolio, milestones, benefits, risks and reporting.

7. Organization, talent and culture

• Lead, coach and hold accountable the Africa supply chain team; build a connected Africa supply chain leadership team.
• Define the regional organization, roles, succession plans and capability roadmap in line with future business needs.
• Develop functional skills in planning, customer service, logistics, analytics, project management, commercial understanding and people leadership.
• Share practices across clusters and factories, promote ownership and collaboration, and maintain strong engagement through change.

Candidate Profile

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive supply chain experience, preferably in FMCG / consumer goods.
• Significant experience in regional or multi-country supply chain leadership, ideally across Africa or similarly complex emerging markets.
• Proven track record in end-to-end planning, S&OP, demand planning, supply planning and inventory management.
• Experience designing or transforming supply chain operating models and governance.
• Proven experience leading complex, multi-country transformation programs.
• Experience operating at senior leadership level and influencing business strategy through supply chain expertise.
• Fluent in English and French.

BIC World is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to hiring people with different backgrounds and experiences. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit and business need.