Demand Planner

Position Description This is a key role in our Customer Demand Planning team and is crucial in supporting customer + location level forecasting, short term demand + horizon alignment, new item distribution and assortment forecasting, forecast reconciliation and cross functional demand representation. Customer & LocationLevel Forecasting : support customer level Bottoms-Up demand forecasts for key customers (Food Service & E-comm), including regional and location-level oversight to ensure accuracy and alignment. Short Term Demand & Horizon Alignment : Manage near-term executional forecasts (0-13 Weeks) and support alignment to Lag 2 Month and Lag 5 Week forecasts across planning horizon New Item, Distribution & Assortment Forecasting : Maintain forecasts for new item launches, customer-specific distribution changes, resets, and assortment updates including timing and volume assumptions. Forecast Reconciliation & Performance Management : Lead reconciliation between Bottoms-Up and Brand / IBP forecasts, monitor sales vs forecast, investigate variances, and track forecast accuracy and bias. Cross Functional Demand Representation : Represent Customer Demand in S&OE and DMS forums, supporting demand insights, promotion & event forecasting, and root cause analysis tied to service and CFR impacts. Experience Level Entry Level Manager (5+ Years or work-related equivalent) Must Haves: o Demand & Forecasting Experience ? APO System Functional knowledge preferred o Strong analytical skills with advanced excel ? Proven ability to analyze forecast accuracy, bias, and error trends ? Ability to identify gaps between plan vs actuals and quantify Root causing o Relationship & Influence ? Must have comfort in influence without authority Analytical & Forecasting Expertise (Must Have) o Experience in having owned customer-level shipment forecasts in CPG, Foodservice or Omni Channel environment o Strong understanding of demand drivers o Proven ability to analyze forecast accuracy, bias, and error trends o Ability to identify gaps between plan vs actuals and quantify Root causing o Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, variance analysis) o Preferred experience with APO planning system and Sales Force Root Cause & Insight Integration o Ability to diagnose forecast variance across multiple dimensions ? Customer behavior change, promotional execution gaps, supply / deployment constraints, timing, etc. o Experience partnering with Sales to ? Gather field intelligence ? Translate qualitative inputs into fact based forecast adjustments ? Continuously refine assumptions o Comfortable documenting and communicating clear what changed, why, so what narratives Story Telling & Executive Presence o Lead customer and cross functional demand discussions o Influence without authority o Connect insights to business outcomes (Service, revenue, inventory) o Demonstrated ability to challenge inputs constructively Sales Partnership & Relationship Management o Proven track record of building trust with sales team thought partner o Comfortable navigating tension Operating Style o Highly organized, fast paced environment, strong ownership mindset, balances urgency in a high pressure, short term horizon