Demand Planner

Our Core Values

ELEVATE EVERYTHING - We each bring a specific set of skills to the table, offering up our expertise and resources to enhance the work of others. We challenge each other to be the best in order to achieve enduring value in the eyes of our customers.

BETTER IS BETTER - There is no finish line; we strive for continuous improvement in everything we do. We obsess over every detail to find ways to improve both our products and our process.

UNAPOLOGETICALLY ACCOUNTABLE - We're open and honest in how we speak and listen. We celebrate each other's successes and collectively rally to solve every challenge. We own it!

COURAGEOUS INNOVATION - There are elegant ideas awaiting discovery in everything we do. We push everyone around us to pursue those ideas openly so we can continue to dominate the category.

COMMUNITY DRIVEN - As a family business, we understand the importance of enriching the communities we call home. As a company, and as individuals, we work to make our expertise available to do the most good for those around us.

Job Summary

The Demand Planner is responsible and accountable for supporting sales forecasting activities associated with customers and products. Champions the collaborative processes between Sales, Marketing, Product Line Management, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance; to gather, interpret, and analyze sales information to formulate highly accurate future demand plans.

This position will support the business's transition from a reactionary world of satisfying demand to one that embraces demand-driven, proactive forecasting of rapid growth.

Essential Job Functions

• Utilize demand planning software to create statistical models to support top-down and bottom-up forecasting, leveraging disciplined data collection via strong processes, controlling clear inputs to forecasting software, and effectively analyzing results.
• Aggregate and analyze sales and market data from all available sources, including retail point-of-sale, sell-in and sell-through data, retailer forecasts, historic company orders and shipments.
• Develop methods for accurately gathering new item forecasts for inclusion in the plan through collaboration with PLMs and Sales. The forecast may be derived from demand patterns of prior new product introductions, demand patterns of existing similar products, input from customers, or a blend of data from various sources.
• Execute the sales forecasting process-- weekly, monthly, and annually-by executing reviews and adjustments via the monthly workflow between sales, product line management, operations, supply chain, and customer service.
• Monitor and report important changes to the forecast, budgets, and actual performance.
• Measure and report the accuracy of the overall forecast as well as the accuracy of the intelligence layered into the demand plan. Implement, refine, and continuously improve forecast techniques, methods, and approaches.
• Support cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refine the forecast model to reflect updated sales and marketing assumptions. Quantify and evaluate non-standard events affecting demand or shipments for inclusion into future forecasts.
• Partner with the Sr Demand Systems Manager utilize the best methods (statistical models and software tools) in creating forecasts by channel and product line while leveraging the Demand Planning system
• Support Product Line Managers in a regular SKU rationalization review; effectively manage SKU level end of life forecasts based on the SKU rationalization process.
• Closely coordinate and communicate customer action plans with supply planning.
• Carry out other duties, responsibilities, and projects as may be assigned in an effective manner.
• Foster relationships among planners, sales, marketing, and finance, which will lead to effective knowledge sharing and an optimal consensus forecast to better guide the company. Improved relationships among planners, sales, marketing and finance, which will lead to effective knowledge sharing and an optimal consensus forecast to better guide the company.
• Introduces new statistical and empirical methodologies in order to continuously improve forecasts so that the company can better anticipate customer needs.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in business, Analytics, Statistics, Operations Management or other related degree, and 3-5 years of experience in demand planning/forecasting tools, forecasting processes with sales. Equivalency to the qualification standard will also be considered.
• Experience with forecasting in a domestic manufacturing and consumer products environment strongly preferred.
• Experience working directly with a salesforce to gather and analyze demand information.
• Demonstrated proficiency in statistics, forecasting, and forecasting methods with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts.
• Experienced with other software packages, including Anaplan, Tableau, Windows, and Microsoft Office. This position requires strong analytical, organizational, decision-making, and presentation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills are essential to effectively interact with all teams, areas, and levels of business affecting the forecast process. Good facilitation skills are required.
• Excellent organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.

Working Conditions

• Working Environment: Hybrid Office Position
• Physical Demands: Lifting to 25 lbs., sitting and talking on the phone and computer for long periods of time.

Travel Requirements

• As needed, less than 5% of the time