Pros2Plan, a Spinnaker SCA division, has an open consulting/contractor role for a Sr. Demand Planning Analyst

Location: Seattle, WA, preferred,

Duration: Contract- 6 months, potential to extend

Bill rate: Open

Job Overview:

As the Senior Demand Planning Analyst, the consultant will play a key role in developing the 5 years strategic and 24 months Operational Demand Plan at brand, SKU, and account level in context for multi-categories and multi-channels to support growing Client’s’ business.

Functionally the consultant will serve as a strategic planner to help shape and guide business level strategic and tactical planning activities. Operationally, the consultant will contribute to the creation of the channel/category operational demand forecasts with the goal of building accurate forecasts through statistical methods & business drivers analysis collaborating with Sales, Retail Analytics, Product, Marketing, Finance and other supply chain teams.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure new product introduction, promotion and other customer or business historical data and insights are properly collected and validated to provide support for future modelling and achieve forecast accuracy objectives.

• Analyse new product launches actuals to determine risks & opportunities versus financial and demand plans

• Forecast and plan utilizing tools, generating baseline & lift forecasts as required, supporting plan validation through proper articulation, and understanding of plan evolution versus launch, promotion, other business input and insights

• Drive forecast accuracy analysis (FA% and Bias%) including root cause and performance problem solving with a continuous improvement mindset, identifying risk, opportunities and deviations from forecasted results and other disruptions and promptly resolve or make recommendations for any issues

• Prepare demand planning input for budget, trend, and strategic & operational S&O for the Supply Chain, Business and Financial communities

• Assist Demand Planning Manager in facilitating monthly consensus meetings with Sales, Retail Analytics, Marketing, Finance & Market Supply Planning which may include preparing all data and metrics for review, identifying gaps and scenarios that must be presented, facilitating decision making on open items and trade-offs, and ensuring action is taken on agreed to action items.

• Review performance metrics to assess how S&OP plans are tracking against goals, and work with the functional planning groups to improve their processes to meet the goals

• Build and maintain excellent relationships with key internal customers based on trust and confidence

• Mentor and train team members and cross-functional partners on the tools, systems, and processes within the Integrated Planning team

• Maintain and improve forecasting models and methodology by reviewing historical sales trends at multiple levels of aggregation, researching demand drivers, developing forecast models, and collaborating with key stakeholders

• Lead cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refine the forecast model to reflect updated assumptions

• Act as a key contributor in the development of demand planning best practices to identify, standardize and automate key planning inputs

• Contribute to the Global Demand Planning Community by developing Demand Planning Excellence program and participating in cross-functional project teams

• Other projects and responsibilities as required

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a Business, Supply Chain, or related discipline or equivalent combination of experience

• 5+ years of experience in a planning related field including use of:

• Demand Planning systems leveraging statistical and collaborative forecasting methods.

• Sell in and sell out units forecasting

• Forecast Bias, forecast accuracy metrics and root cause analysis

• Strong analytical and conceptual skills with an aptitude for report-building, data mining, interpretation and recommendations based on their own analysis. Strong computer and quantitative skills, including:

• BI, Tableau, or any other Data warehouse/analytics system

• Excel – Intermediate/advanced level

• ERP

• Ability to work cross-functionally, demonstrating strong interpersonal and collaborative skills. Displays strong initiative with a curiosity for learning and challenging the norm with an innovative mindset

• Excellent problem-solving skills and a resourceful professional style

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills