Director, Demand Planning

Director, Demand Planning - Shape the Future of Snacking!

At Utz, we're not just making snacks-we're creating moments of joy for millions of consumers every day. With a century of heritage and a bold vision for growth, our brands-Utz, Zapp's, Boulder Canyon, and On the Border-are leading the way in the U.S. snacking industry. Now, we're looking for a Director of Demand Planning to help us forecast the future and fuel our next chapter of success.

*This is a remote opportunity with up to 25% travel as needed.

Why This Role Matters:

The Director, Demand Planning is responsible for leading the company's end-to-end demand forecasting process, ensuring accurate, data-driven forecasts that support business growth, high service levels, and efficient inventory management. Reporting to the Vice President, Demand & Supply Planning, this role drives alignment across Commercial, Operations, and Finance teams through the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) framework, with direct accountability for forecast accuracy, demand planning systems, and process maturity.

The Director will lead the Demand Planning team in translating sales and marketing insights into actionable demand forecasts, enabling supply and financial plans that support both strategic and operational goals.

What You'll Do:

• Lead the monthly Demand Planning cycle within the company's IBP process, driving consensus forecasts across Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of the statistical baseline forecast using historical data, demand drivers, and predictive analytics.
• Integrate promotional lifts, innovation launches, product transitions, and discontinuations into the forecast.
• Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy and forecast bias, using root-cause analysis and advanced analytics to refine performance.
• Manage the demand planning calendar, inputs, and deliverables to support the Demand and Executive IBP Reviews.
• Partner with the Supply Planning function to translate the demand plan into actionable supply and production requirements.
• Collaborate with Sales and Marketing to translate trade events, pricing actions, and marketing campaigns into forecasted demand.
• Partner with Finance to align forecasts with the company's financial outlook, budget, and rolling forecast processes.
• Coordinate with Customer Service, Logistics, and Supply Planning to ensure alignment between customer demand, service expectations, and production capacity.
• Facilitate cross-functional consensus-building, resolving discrepancies between commercial and operational forecasts.
• Lead the enhancement of forecasting systems and demand planning tools to enable more accurate, automated, and scalable processes.
• Implement performance dashboards and analytics that measure forecast performance and highlight demand volatility or emerging risks.
• Support IBP process maturity by driving standardization, data integrity, and scenario-based forecasting capabilities.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of demand planners with clear accountability, growth opportunities, and technical excellence.
• Provide training and mentorship on forecasting methodologies, analytics, and cross-functional communication.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement across the planning organization.
• Use predictive models and advanced analytics to identify trends, demand drivers, and potential risks.
• Support executive decision-making with scenario analyses and trade-off evaluations related to forecast, service, and financial outcomes.
• Translate demand insights into actionable recommendations for production planning, capacity management, and inventory positioning.

What You Bring:

Education: Bachelor's in Supply Chain, Business, or Economics (MBA preferred).

Experience: 8 years in Demand Planning, S&OP/IBP, or Supply Chain within CPG or food manufacturing, plus 3 years leading teams.

• Demonstrated success improving forecast accuracy and driving process improvements through technology or analytics.
• Experience with advanced planning systems (e.g., SAP IBP, Kinaxis, o9, Blue Yonder, Anaplan) preferred.

Skills:

• Deep understanding of demand forecasting methodologies, data modeling, and statistical analysis.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; adept at turning data into actionable insights.
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to balance long-term strategic planning with short-term operational responsiveness.
• Demonstrated success in building high-performing teams and fostering professional development.
• Proficiency in Excel and data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) a plus.

External Recruitment Process:

• Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started.
• Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours.
• Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.

Why Utz?

We believe in taking care of our people. Our benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Employer-matched 401(k)
• Profit sharing, bonus plan, employee stock purchase plan
• Career growth opportunities in a supportive, inclusive environment

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.