Demand Planning Manager

We are seeking a data-driven and strategic Demand Planning Manager to lead our demand forecasting and S&OP processes. This role is critical in aligning cross-functional teams and ensuring that demand plans reflect commercial strategies, market realities, and supply capabilities. You will be responsible for creating robust demand forecasts, facilitating the monthly S&OP cycle, and helping the business make informed, data-backed decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Demand Forecasting & Planning

Develop and maintain a 18-24 month rolling demand forecast at SKU, channel, and customer level using a mix of statistical tools, historical data, and business inputs.

Analyze sales trends, seasonality, customer demand patterns, POS data, and marketing activities to inform forecast assumptions.

Track and improve forecast accuracy using metrics such as MAPE, BIAS, and forecast vs. actual variances.

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)

Own and facilitate the monthly S&OP process, ensuring alignment between Demand, Supply, Sales, Marketing, and Finance.

Lead Demand Review meetings, preparing key inputs, scenario planning, and insights that support volume and financial alignment.

Drive consensus across functions on demand plans, forecast risks and opportunities, and supply constraints.

Translate business strategy into demand plans that support financial objectives, production planning, and inventory goals.

Monitor execution of S&OP decisions and identify gaps, escalations, or mitigation actions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Sales and Marketing to incorporate promotional plans, new product launches, and customer feedback into the forecast.

Work closely with Supply Planning, Operations, and Inventory teams to ensure capacity and supply plans align with demand projections.

Collaborate with Finance to ensure volume plans align with budget and forecast cycles.

Inventory & Supply Chain Alignment

Optimize inventory across channels by balancing supply and demand, avoiding both stockouts and excess.

Analyze root causes of forecast errors or service issues and recommend continuous improvement actions.

Support end-to-end visibility and agility in the supply chain by communicating forecast shifts and trends in real time.

Analytics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Build and maintain reporting dashboards to visualize key forecast and S&OP metrics.

Conduct post-mortems on forecast performance and apply learnings to future cycles.

Drive continuous improvement of demand planning processes and tools, including automation and advanced analytics.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Analytics, Economics, or related field; MBA or Master's preferred.

5+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain within a consumer brand or CPG environment.

Proven experience leading or co-owning an S&OP process.

Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret large datasets and convert them into actionable insights.

Proficiency with forecasting tools (e.g., SAP IBP, Oracle Demantra, NetSuite), ERP systems, and advanced Excel.

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic business with competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

APICS, IBF, or S&OP certification (e.g., CPIM, CSCP, CPF, or CLTD).

Experience working in omnichannel environments (eCommerce, wholesale, retail).

Familiarity with data visualization tools like Power BI or Tableau.

Exposure to global or regional planning across markets.

At Gleeson Recruitment Group, we embrace inclusivity and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We are proud to be a disability confident employer.

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