Demand Planner

Position Summary Description:

The Demand Planner is responsible for developing, maintaining, and continuously improving demand forecasts that support high service levels, inventory health, and working capital objectives across all foodservice distribution network. This role partners closely with Purchasing/Replenishment, Sales, Operations, and Finance to translate customer demand signals, seasonality, promotions, and market trends into accurate forecasts that drive inventory planning and replenishment decisions. The Demand Planner plays a critical role in reducing product shortages, excess inventory, and obsolescence while supporting profitable growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain item-level demand forecasts across multiple categories, customers, and distribution centers, leveraging historical data, seasonality, trends, and customer behavior.
• Analyze forecast performance using key metrics (e.g., MAPE, bias), identify root causes of variances, and implement continuous improvement actions to enhance accuracy.
• Own and maintain forecast data and parameters within the Clarity system, ensuring data integrity, timely updates, and proper system utilization.
• Establish and manage inventory planning parameters, including safety stock, min/max levels, and replenishment drivers, in collaboration with cross-functional partners.
• Monitor and optimize inventory health and targets (e.g., DOH, turns), proactively identifying risks related to shortages, excess, and obsolete inventory.
• Partner closely with Purchasing/Replenishment teams to align forecasts with ordering strategies, supplier lead times, and constraints, including collaboration on forecast overrides and PO quantity adjustments.
• Incorporate business inputs such as promotions, seasonality, new item introductions, transitions, and discontinuations into demand plans, ensuring alignment with Sales and Category strategies.
• Facilitate and contribute to S&OP/IBP and demand review processes, presenting forecast insights, risks, and actionable recommendations to stakeholders.
• Generate and distribute demand planning reports, dashboards, and insights to support cross-functional decision-making and improve visibility.
• Support inventory governance by analyzing excess & obsolete (E&O) exposure and inventory write-offs, driving root cause analysis and partnering with Category and leadership on mitigation strategies.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities but may provide functional guidance and influence cross-functional partners.

Qualifications:

Education/Training and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business, Analytics, Finance, or a related field required.
• 3–5 years of demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain experience, preferably in foodservice distribution or adjacent businesses.

Critical Skills:

• High Analytical capability to interpret large, complex datasets and translate insights into actionable demand plans.
• Ability to incorporate seasonality, promotions, and external demand drivers (tourism trends, local events) into forecasts.
• Experienced in problem-solving with a focus on root cause analysis and continuous forecast improvement.
• Solid understanding of inventory management principles, including safety stock, reorder points and service level optimization.
• Experienced planning long lead-time environments, including ocean freight and supplier constraint.
• Fundamental understanding of foodservice distribution operations, including perishability, shelf life, and high service level expectations preferred.
• Advanced Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 applications (Excel required), including experience in data modeling, scenario analysis and automation.
• Experience with ERP, forecasting, or replenishment systems to support demand planning processes.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-variability environment, adjusting quickly to changing demand and/or supply conditions.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail in maintaining forecast data, inventory parameters, and system inputs. Ensures data quality to support reliable planning outputs and decision-making.