Demand Planner

The Vita Coco Company, created in 2004 by Co-CEO Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, produces the leading brand of coconut water in the United States with a growing presence around the world. The Vita Coco Company’s brands include the leading coconut water, Vita Coco; clean energy drink Runa; premium canned water, Ever & Ever; and protein-infused water, PWR LIFT.

In 2021, The Vita Coco Company became a publicly traded, Public Benefit Corporation. With a growing portfolio of natural products, The Vita Coco Company has identified its public benefit purpose as creating ethical, sustainable products that uplift communities and do right by our planet by harnessing and protecting nature’s resources.

In 2022, The Vita Coco Company was certified as a B Corporation™ furthering the Company’s commitment toward operating its business as a force for good, while delivering better-for-you products.

Vita Coco is headquartered in New York City with international offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and London.

The Demand Planner creates and maintains the consensus demand plan across various levels, using statistical models and input from Sales, Marketing, and Finance, ensuring alignment with the company’s financial goals. This role is based out of our NYC HQ reporting directly to the Demand Planning Manager – North America.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Demand Planning

• Develop and maintain customer & item level forecast to drive the monthly execution of supply chain planning across multiple brands

• Collaborate cross-functionally (Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Planning and Customer Service) to analyze trends in SKU and customer performance (promotions, shipment history, new item launches, cannibalization etc) to continuously improve quality and accuracy of future forecasts

• Understanding significant business drivers at key customers to identify opportunities for growth and risks to current plans

• Collaborate with Manager of Demand Planning to align S&OP forecast as a direct input into both the financial and operational plans to support expected demand

• Monitor and maintain accuracy of data input into planning software (Anaplan) while working with team to implement processes that align to industry best practices

• Evaluate and document market responses for new products and use this to develop qualitative forecasts for new items not yet introduced

• Prepare, report and present demand planning KPIs and work with cross-functional teams to improve performance

2. Business Requirements

• Exhibits strong business acumen and financial discipline when analyzing the business and identifying risks/opportunities

• Understands interplay of forecast accuracy, customer service and inventory liability and drives to achieve best in class results across all three areas
• Communicates opportunities and risks to management on a proactive basis.
• Knowledge of key customer metrics/expectations and apply understanding of the resultant behaviors to explanations of variance or expectations for future periods
• Compare Operational forecasts to financial forecast. Explain variances, note uncertainty and highlight risk areas to the S&OP team

3. Operations & Process Impact

• Lead resolution of demand/supply imbalances and assess customer base changes with key stakeholders
• Collaborate with Supply Planning, Logistics, and cross-functional teams on product transitions
• Maximize customer fulfillment while minimizing working capital with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Customer Service
• Support cost reduction efforts across the Supply Chain
• Create, maintain, and improve forecast templates and demand planning workflows for S&OP leadership reviews

4. Miscellaneous Operations Support

• Lead/support operations related and ad-hoc projects

Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge & Education:

• 1-2 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain management
• Comprehensive knowledge of high-level retail operations, forecasting technology, inventory management, market research data, and supply chain management
• Proven ability to conduct complex, quantitative and statistical analyses complimented with qualitative inputs from multiple sources to draw conclusions and make recommendations
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business or related field with undergraduate statistical analysis or engineering focus
• High caliber of professional interpersonal skills, with excellent analytical, conceptual, and communication skills (both oral and written)
• Strong Project Management Skills - Managing numerous projects at once, in a high paced environment.
• Deep knowledge and experience in Demand Planning modules – experience using Anaplan a major plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Self-motivated team member who can drive resolution to issues with strong problem-solving skills.

At The Vita Coco Company, compensation decisions are dependent upon a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to skill set, experience, education, training, licensure and certifications, knowledge and abilities of the applicant, alignment with market data, and other business and organizational needs. A reasonable estimate of the current pay range for this position is $80,000-$90,000. This range may vary for positions that will be performed outside of California, Colorado, Nevada, New York City, Westchester County, NY, Rhode Island, or Washington.

Vita Coco Co. is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, military service, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Company is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.