As an integral part of the Russell Stover Supply Chain Planning team, the Demand Planner develops quality forecasts and maintains high forecast accuracy for effective execution of production planning, inventory management, and deployment of product. This position will also focus on leveraging external data sources to improve cross-functional planning processes. As a key point of contact between Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain, this individual will play a key role in improving service levels, driving sales and consumer off-take, and supporting organizational strategies through data analytics.
The ideal candidate must: be able to analyze data effectively and efficiently, be adaptable and open to change in a fast-paced environment and be able to effectively communicate complexity to all levels of the organization. 
Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Maintain the statistical forecast model and sales input to facilitate a consensus forecast.
• Improve forecast accuracy by accounting for seasonality, new items, new customers, promotional activity, and other market factors.
• Align demand plans to business objectives through understanding of Seasonal, Base, Promotional, New Product, and Cannibalization processes.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and alignment with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and IT to drive business results in planning, execution, and risks / opportunities.
• Prepare and present demand analytics including, but not limited to: missed business / lost sales, forecast accuracy and bias, customer sell-through, monthly and annual pacing, and demand/supply balancing.
• Develop alerts, reports, and predictive models to support the organization in identifying potential gaps and issues before they arise.
• Drive Production Planning and Inventory Management strategies to improve customer fill rates and minimize excess inventory.
• Support demand planning initiatives to drive continuous improvement in global demand planning processes, systems, and integration into the business.
• Participate in global projects that support “Best Practice” alignment of Lindt, Ghirardelli, and Russell Stover supply chain systems / processes.
• Support Vendor Management processes / initiatives as needed.

TO BE CONSIDERED AN APPLICANT FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST SHOW HOW YOU MEET THE BASIC QUALIFICATIONS AS OUTLINED IN THE REQUIREMENTS
Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 2 years of experience in Supply Chain, Statistics, Financial Planning, or Market Analysis
• Advanced Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Supply Chain, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or related field
• At least 5 years of experience in Supply Chain, Planning, or a highly technical role
• Experience using SAP and/or SAP-Integrated Business Planning IBP
• Experience using customer data portals, IRI, or other external market intelligence tools
• Expertise in a programming language such as SQL, VBA, or Python
• Experience building dashboards using Business Intelligence tools, such as Tableau, SAP Analytics Cloud, Power BI, etc.
• Ability to work directly with Russell Stover customers—must possess leadership qualities and the ability to maintain / build customer relationships.
• Experience working in the CPG industry
• APICS, IBF, or any type of forecasting certification
• Analytical, critical thinking, and multi-tasking skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, must be able to work cross-functionally at various levels of the organization

Company Description
Russell Stover Chocolates is a leader in the manufacturer of boxed chocolates. The company’s three brands – Russell Stover, Whitman’s and Pangburn’s - are sold throughout the United States in company-owned retail stores and 70,000 wholesale accounts. After nearly 100 years in operation the company manufactures approximately 100 million pounds of chocolate candies each year in its proud tradition of being “Made in America” and “Handcrafted in Small Batches”.
In September 2014, Russell Stover Chocolates was acquired by Lindt and Sprungli, the world leader in premium chocolates. This was the largest acquisition in the history of Lindt and Sprungli which has operations in over 40 countries across the globe. Russell Stover Chocolates joins sister companies Lindt USA and Ghirardelli to form a powerful confectionery triad in North America.
Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.
Russell Stover Chocolates is an EOE/MINORITY/FEMALE/VET/DISABLED employer. Principals only please.