Director of Demand Planning

Job Title: Director of Demand Planning
FLSA Status: Exempt
Department: Sales Operations
Supervises: None
Reports to: VP Sales Operations

General Overview:

Optimize Demand Planning team and processes to serve consumers, drive profitable growth, and deliver revenue and inventory targets. The position is responsible for process, timelines, reporting, and continuous improvement. Director of Demand Planning will lead a team of Demand planners, have responsibility for oversight of forecasting system and work to maximize forecast accuracy to drive margin and inventory turnover improvement.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop top line forecasts at the SKU level and develop category plans to allow visibility to capacity planning, estimate future business needs and give Executive team insight to forward looking business projections.
• Managing responsibilities of multiple Demand Planners and Demand Planning Manger including annual performance evaluations
• Highly knowledgeable about the business to be able to provide expertise and guidance to the team, regarding data analysis, sales forecasts, strategic direction, etc.
• Coach and support team members in day-to-day tasks
• Manage cross functional relationship with Supply Planning, Sales Leads, Product Team, Finance, etc.
• Facilitate ad hoc projects/reports as needed to be able to summarize and elevate to leaders.
• Anaplan developer to create new processes, clean up bugs and train as needed within the tool.
• Collaborate with Sales Leads and Product Managers to develop strategic long range revenue plans by account and category and provide direction to the Supply Chain Team to develop capacity plans with the suppliers.
• Achieve consensus for demand forecasts by facilitating a collaborative planning process with Sales Leads, Finance, Product and Supply Chain Teams.
• Focus on exceeding key KPIs, including forecast accuracy, customer fill rates, order request dates, inventory plans and more.
• Prepare for and participate in cross functional meetings to present sales analysis, forecast changes and recommended actions, also to ensure key strategies are being executed.
• Analyze and manage risk assessments and mitigation activities.
• Propose and implement solutions to improve demand forecast accuracy.
• Address demand-related issues in a timely and effective manner.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field
• 10+ years Demand Planning, Sales forecasting or inventory management experience at CPG company or Retail Company
• Advanced Analytical skills - ability to brainstorm, gather data, detect outliers or trends, interpret data, and make quick data based decisions on multiple different data points.
• Expert Forecasting Skills – utilize multiple different forecasting metrics (% variance, turn, WOS, % to total, trend analysis) to determine a strategic and accurate forecast.
• Strong knowledge of retail math and ability to read trends in sales and inventory and utilize to make decisions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office with high-level capabilities in Excel
• Experience with ERP/MRP software systems, JD Edwards/E1 knowledge is desired.
• Experience with Demand Planning software systems, Anaplan knowledge is desired.
• Positive, solution-focused attitude with a team-oriented growth mindset.
• Focus on continuous improvement.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including influencing skills.
• Passion for Sports and Drive to Succeed (Preferred)

Specific Knowledge, Skills or Abilities Required:

• Understand the impact of demand changes and how to mitigate risk.
• Identify trends and how to best influence forecast
• Solid understanding of demand planning systems (ideally Anaplan) used to complete all demand planning requirements.
• Professional, highly analytical, and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• In-depth knowledge of advanced mathematical, statistical, and forecasting calculations.
• Able to lead teams during periods of significant organizational and business change
• Focused on leadership and culture
• Acts with a sense of urgency.
• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Flexible and Adaptable
• Positive and energetic attitude
• Highly collaborative
• Solution focused

Competencies:

• Customer Mindset: Exceptional customer experience is primary focus while performing job duties. Quality is a top priority.
• Adaptability & Innovation: Proactively and willingly adapts to changing business needs, conditions, and presents creative and fresh ideas on how to solve problems, gain efficiencies and improve quality.
• Relationship Building: Builds constructive working relationships characterized by a high level of inclusion, cooperation and mutual respect.
• Accountability: Takes personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work and strives to exceed requirements.
• Decision Making and Judgment: Makes timely, informed decisions that take into account the facts, goals, constraints and risks.
• Talent Development (Self and Others): Displays an ongoing commitment to learning and self-improvement; making an effort to acquire new knowledge or skills associated with job responsibilities. Willingness to work with others and coach/teach in effort to develop and support other employees’ development.

This job description does not list all the duties of the job. Position may be required to perform other duties as needed.