Who We Are:
Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today.
JOB MISSION:
The EMEA Demand Planner plays a critical role in delivering business results through owning the creation, analysis, and execution of the regional demand plan. The Demand Planner will be responsible for providing a detailed forecast to the organization, at the model and item level for the EMEA region, for a designated category group. The role will also support the business by developing insights based on historical shipments, sales forecasts, sell through analytics and product plans and how this impacts the demand plan. The planner brings an analytical, data driven, and growth mindset, to their ownership of the demand plan and various forecasting activities, from both technical and overall business perspectives. This position is a key contributor within the Go-To Market process, supporting the Demand Planning Manager and Senior Demand Planner through engagement and participation in the regional S&OP process.
MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Develop the demand forecast for the region regarding specific product categories at item level, considering volume, value and stocking policy, as well as inputs from EMEA Merchandising, Sales, Marketing and Finance.
Responsible for forecast accuracy of owned category with the aim of continuous improvement towards MAPE targets.
Highlight risks and opportunities to the business and work collaboratively to implement resulting changes to the demand plan.
Work collaboratively with Inventory Planners to bring attention to risks and opportunities concerning the Demand Plan including signing off the DP/IP handshake.
Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Champion. Assist with regional S&OP activities, ensuring that S&OP process steps are aligned with the regional inventory strategy and S&OP guideline.
Participate in consensus meetings with key stakeholders, to align on monthly and/or seasonal item level forecasts, to be used for business planning across short, medium and long term horizons.
Actively manage and summarise scenario plans for potential challenges and advantages. Collaborate with Merchandising, Inventory Planning, Sales, Marketing, and Finance to ensure communication and assumptions are accurate and aligned with business expectations.
Represent EMEA Demand Planning in the end to end Go-To-Market process.
Manage Product Lifecycles including ramp up/down logic, NII launch forecasts, style phaseout management, and sell through monitoring.
Work with the Sales Planning teams in the EMEA markets to understand the sales forecast and sales performance data impacts on the demand plan.
Support the business by developing insights that provide the organisation with high value information, with respect to their consumers, customers, product assortment and the financial health of the business.
Drive continuous improvement, particularly with regards to the overall demand planning and S&OP processes, through the definition and implementation of best practice, related tools and reporting capabilities whilst remaining aligned to the EMEA inventory strategy.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:
University degree and a relevant year of experience in Demand Planning, Sales Planning or Merchandising (does not have to be in a sport/fashion environment).
Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with an emphasis on analysis and planning, problem solving, collaboration, initiative, decision making and dealing with multiple varied partners.
Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and manage time, multiple tasks and deadlines effectively.
Interest in developing strong cross functional partnerships, with a goal to strengthen forecast accuracy and improve business processes.
Experience in Microsoft Office: Excel (advanced level), Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, etc.
Demonstrate understanding of statistical forecasting and scenario modelling.
Experience with Microsoft D365, o9, and/or Spotfire would be an advantage.
APICS certification would be an advantage.
European language skills would be an advantage.
Ability to travel occasionally.
BENEFITS:
Discretionary Bonus Opportunity
Private Medical Insurance
Dental Scheme
Pension Scheme
Flexible Working Hours
Hybrid working (3 days on-site)
25 days Annual Leave per year
Life Insurance
Employee Discount
Flexibility to work 20 days from anywhere each year
Wellbeing and Mental Health Benefit (24/7 Employment Assistance Program & Support)
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Equal Opportunity Employer:
New Balance is committed to equality of opportunity for all current and prospective associates regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership and gender reassignment. We are an equal opportunity employer and support a culture of diversity and inclusion.
If you have not already done so, please let us know if you require any support so we can make the right adjustments and considerations should they be required.
Skills Required
- University degree
- Relevant experience in demand planning, sales planning, or merchandising
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Analytical, planning, problem-solving, collaboration, initiative, and decision-making skills
- Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and manage multiple tasks and deadlines
- Ability to develop strong cross-functional partnerships
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office skills
- Understanding of statistical forecasting and scenario modeling
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365, o9, and/or Spotfire
- APICS certification
- European language skills
- Ability to travel occasionally
New Balance Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about New Balance and has not been reviewed or approved by New Balance.
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Healthcare Strength — Benefits coverage is described as comprehensive, including medical, dental, and vision options alongside wellness resources like health coaching. Fitness reimbursement is also cited as part of the overall health and wellness offering.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as strong, with a 401(k) plan and a company match described as dollar-for-dollar up to a stated contribution level in some locations. Life insurance and disability benefits are also included as part of the broader financial protection package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off offerings are characterized as generous, with paid holidays, vacation time, and paid sick leave highlighted. Flexible schedules and telecommuting options are also described as supporting work-life balance.
New Balance Insights
What We Do
In 1906, New Balance began as a humble one-man operation founded on the belief that “we were born to move,” and has since grown into an international corporation, selling footwear and apparel in over 120 countries and employing over 8,000 associates worldwide. Our mission has always been to support the performance of athletes, and with an unparalleled focus on quality and craftsmanship, we’ve come to set the standard for comfort and fit in an industry all too often driven by hype. We’re incredibly proud of our history and how far we’ve come, but companies don’t thrive for over a century by being content. Whether it’s setting a new style trend, retooling our manufacturing process, or building a new state-of-the-art headquarters, we pursue innovation with a spirit of fearless independence. As the only privately held major footwear company in the world, we’re free to do things our way, pushing limits and testing boundaries as we continually reimagine what could be. After all, the status quo isn’t static. But doing things our way wouldn’t mean much if we weren’t also doing them the right way. We invest in our associates as they invest in us, and as we move forward, we make a point of giving back, supporting communities around us through ambitious philanthropic efforts and involvement programs. We are a company that cares, and our culture is one of integrity and teamwork where together we become greater than the sum of our parts.
