Allocation Manager

About Youth Decide Zimbabwe

We are a globally oriented organization dedicated to optimizing the allocation of products, inventory, capacity, resources, and operational investments across markets and business channels. Our teams cooperate across Supply Chain, Planning, Procurement, Sales, Finance, Operations, Logistics, Commercial, and Customer Experience departments to ensure an efficient and strategic allocation of resources aligned with business priorities.

Role Overview

The Allocation Manager will lead efforts in planning allocation, deploying inventory, managing capacity, and making cross-functional allocation decisions. The role involves analyzing demand, inventory levels, operational limitations, commercial priorities, and market needs to ensure optimal availability of products and resources across locations, channels, and timelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and execute allocation strategies aligned with business goals, demand forecasts, inventory policies, and commercial objectives.
• Oversee end-to-end allocation planning for products, markets, locations, channels, customers, and operational units.
• Translate demand planning and business priorities into actionable allocation plans.
• Analyze data relating to sales forecasts, inventory levels, demand patterns, supply availability, and operational constraints.
• Allocate resources based on demand, customer priority, profitability, service needs, and strategic goals.
• Define allocation rules, priorities, decision frameworks, and thresholds for effective resource distribution.
• Balance the availability of inventory with working-capital requirements and business risks.
• Monitor inventory to identify stock shortages, excess stock, slow-moving items, and allocation inconsistencies.
• Coordinate redistribution of inventory across warehouses, locations, channels, or markets as necessary.
• Support new product launches with initial allocation plans and monitor subsequent demand.
• Adjust allocation plans based on sales performance, demand shifts, supply disruptions, and market changes.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Commercial, Supply Chain, Planning, Procurement, Logistics, and Finance teams to ensure alignment.
• Develop allocation scenarios to address constrained supply, seasonal demand, or critical product needs.
• Establish escalation protocols for significant shortages, conflicts, or priority changes.
• Track order fulfillment, service levels, and identify opportunities for inventory availability improvements.
• Maintain and enhance allocation models, tools, dashboards, and reports for continuous planning improvement.
• Ensure compliance with inventory policies, contractual obligations, customer agreements, and internal governance.
• Recommend process improvements to reduce manual errors, enhance decision consistency, and eliminate unauthorized changes.
• Support automation efforts and system enhancements in partnership with Technology teams.
• Control allocation-related costs, analyze inventory productivity, and oversee transfer efficiency.
• Develop performance metrics and communicate allocation outcomes to management.
• Lead root-cause analyses, corrective actions, continuous improvement initiatives, and related projects.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and training to allocation planners and involved operational teams.
• Benchmark allocation practices to improve planning maturity and produce executive-level reports.

Key Performance Indicators

• Accuracy of allocation decisions
• Inventory availability and turnover rates
• Stockout and excess inventory rates
• Order fulfillment and service-level performance
• Adherence to allocation plans and forecast accuracy
• Performance of product launch allocations
• Working-capital efficiency and transfer frequency
• Allocation-related costs and customer satisfaction
• Revenue and margin performance
• Timely response to demand and allocation exceptions
• Planning cycle duration, data precision, and automation progress
• Completion of corrective actions and delivery of continuous improvements

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Extensive knowledge of allocation, inventory, demand, supply, and capacity planning principles.
• Experience managing allocation plans across diverse geographies, markets, products, or channels.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills with proficiency in handling demand forecasts, inventory data, sales and supply constraints.
• Understanding of inventory optimization and working capital management.
• Experience with ERP, supply chain planning, inventory management, or allocation software.
• Advanced Excel skills and familiarity with analytics tools are advantageous.
• Excellent collaboration, stakeholder management, and commercial awareness.
• Ability to make informed decisions under supply limitations and fluctuating demand.
• Exceptional organizational skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Proven capability to manage multiple markets, products, timelines, and priorities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills in English.
• Leadership experience managing allocation teams, planners, or analysts.
• Experience working with international and distributed teams preferred.
• Relevant academic background in supply chain, business, operations, logistics, finance, analytics, or related disciplines is highly desired.