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 & Location Level 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.
  
  

Position Requirements

• Entry Level Manager (5 Years or work-related equivalent)
• Demand & Forecasting Experience
• APO System Functional knowledge preferred
• 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
• Relationship & Influence
• Must have comfort in influence without authority
• Analytical & Forecasting Expertise (Must Have)
• Experience in having owned customer-level shipment forecasts in CPG, Foodservice or Omni Channel environment
• Strong understanding of demand drivers
• Proven ability to analyze forecast accuracy, bias, and error trends
• Ability to identify gaps between plan vs actuals and quantify Root causing
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, variance analysis)
• Preferred experience with APO planning system and Sales Force
• Root Cause & Insight Integration
• Ability to diagnose forecast variance across multiple dimensions
• Customer behavior change, promotional execution gaps, supply / deployment constraints, timing, etc.
• Experience partnering with Sales to:
• Gather field intelligence
• Translate qualitative inputs into fact based forecast adjustments
• Continuously refine assumptions
• Comfortable documenting and communicating clear "what changed, why, so what" narratives
• Story Telling & Executive Presence:
• Lead customer and cross functional demand discussions
• Influence without authority
• Connect insights to business outcomes (Service, revenue, inventory)
• Demonstrated ability to challenge inputs constructively
• Sales Partnership & Relationship Management:
• Proven track record of building trust with sales team - thought partner
• Comfortable navigating tension
• Highly organized, fast paced environment, strong ownership mindset, balances urgency in a high pressure, short term horizon
• Work Hours Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM
  

Benefits

Healthcare Insurance: Synectics offers eligible employees and their dependents healthcare coverage through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics. Premiums are subsidized by Synectics.

Dental Insurance: Synectics offers eligible employees and their dependents a dental plan through MetLife. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics.

Vision Insurance: Synectics offers eligible employees vision insurance through VSP. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics.401(k) Plan: The Synectics Inc. Investment Savings Retirement Plan. Synectics offers all employees who are 21 years of age or older the opportunity to invest in the 401(k) Plan on the first enrollment date that is at least 30 days after employment begins. Enrollment dates are each January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st.

Technical Certification Bonus: Synectics is pleased to award its employees a bonus of up to $500 for an approved professional certification. In determining the bonus amount, Synectics will consider the cost of the test(s) for any certification relating to your current position, achieved during your employment with us. Only one Certification Bonus per calendar year may be awarded per employee. Only current, active employees will be eligible to receive this bonus. It will be awarded 90 days after the Synectics office has received documentation confirming the successful completion of the certification.

Synectics is an equal opportunity employer.