Demand Planning

Demand & Supply Planner - GroceryJob SummaryThe Grocery Demand & Supply Planner is responsible for developing, managing, and continuously improving demand forecasts and supply plans across grocery SKUs and programs. This role plays a critical part in aligning sales expectations with purchasing, inventory, and financial strategies across defined planning horizons.This individual partners closely with Sales and Purchasing to build accurate, time-phased demand plans, while collaborating with Marketing, Finance, and Logistics to ensure effective execution across the end-to-end supply chain. This role requires both strategic oversight and hands-on execution in a fast-paced, high-growth Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) environment.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and maintain demand forecasts across weekly, monthly, and seasonal planning horizonsTranslate sales inputs, promotional plans, and market trends into accurate, data-driven forecastsPartner with Sales and Marketing to incorporate customer programs, promotions, and new product launches into demand plansCollaborate with Purchasing and Operations to convert demand forecasts into executable supply and procurement plansBuild and manage supply plans aligned with supplier lead times, production constraints, and distribution requirementsLead or support monthly demand review and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) / Integrated Business Planning processesMonitor forecast accuracy and continuously refine forecasting models and assumptionsAnalyze POS data, shipment history, promotional lift, and seasonality to improve forecast performanceBalance service levels, inventory turns, and shrink/spoilage, particularly in perishable categoriesIdentify risks and opportunities (e.g., demand variability, supply disruptions) and recommend mitigation strategiesPartner with Finance to align forecasts with budgets, revenue targets, and financial plansCoordinate with Logistics to ensure plans are operationally feasibleMaintain data integrity across forecasting systems and toolsEducation & CertificationsBachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Statistics, or a related field preferred but not requiredProfessional certifications are a plus:APICS / ASCM CPIM (Certified in Production & Inventory Management)APICS / ASCM CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional)IBF CPF (Certified Professional Forecaster)Experience5+ years of experience in demand planning, supply chain planning, or forecasting within a CPG environment (food industry preferred)Experience managing SKU-level forecasts across multiple retailers and sales channelsExperience supporting or leading S&OP / Integrated Business Planning processesProven experience collaborating cross-functionally with:SalesMarketingFinanceOperationsVendors and external partnersExperience with new product launches and promotional forecastingExperience working with retailer POS data (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, or retailer portals)Technical SkillsAdvanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, Power Query, forecasting models)Experience with demand planning or ERP systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Oracle)Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret:POS dataShipment historyPromotional liftSeasonal trendsExperience with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI) preferredLeadership & Business SkillsAbility to lead monthly demand review meetings and contribute to S&OP processesStrong cross-functional leadership, particularly with Sales and Marketing teamsAbility to translate sales pipeline and promotional activity into statistical forecastsExperience managing and improving forecast accuracy metricsAbility to balance customer service levels, inventory investment, and operational constraintsCapable of mentoring others and helping build demand planning capabilities across the organizationIndustry KnowledgeStrong understanding of food CPG dynamics, including:Retailer replenishment processes and lead timesPromotional calendars and trade spend managementShelf resets and product lifecycle managementPerishability and shelf-life considerationsCo-manufacturing and supplier constraintsAdditional AttributesHands-on and comfortable building and adjusting forecasts directlyAble to work effectively with imperfect or incomplete dataStrong partnership mindset with sales leaders and key account managersComfortable managing rapid SKU growth and innovation pipelines in a dynamic environmentAbility to help scale processes and develop team capabilities as the organization grows