Job Description:
Demand Planner
The Demand planner is responsible for leading the forecasting process for Champions PetFoods products.
He/she is the expert on forecasting at strategic and operational level and regularly consulted for insights related to market growth activities. He/she is key enabler to support product availability, customer service excellence, mid/long term planning steering and process improvements.
Core activities include supply planning accuracy, scenario building based on market and regional insights, predictive analysis, product deployment support, cross functional projects implementation, continuous process and system improvement.
What are we looking for?
- A bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business administration
- 3-5 years of experience in Planning function
- Fluent English, both written and spoken, other languages is a plus
- Experience in forecasting and in improving business processes
What will be your key responsibilities?
- Create and update demand forecasts using statistical tools and historical data. This should include both short-term and long-term projections.
- Develop demand scenarios for promotions, seasonality, or market changes and communicate potential impacts on inventory and distribution.
- Identify trends and external factors that may influence demand, adjusting forecasts as needed.
- Incorporate customer-specific demand (order patterns) and requirements into the forecast.
- Actively participate in S&OP meetings to align sales, marketing, and production plans with demand forecasts.
- Work with marketing and sales teams to understand the impact of promotions, campaigns, or new product launches on demand.
- Create dashboards to track KPIs such as forecast accuracy, fill rate, stockouts root cause and service levels.
- Analyze and explain variances between forecast and actual demand, providing insights into the causes and potential adjustments.
- Monitor and report on service levels (i.e., ability to meet customer demand on time), highlighting areas for improvement.
- Identify potential risks in the demand forecast, such as market volatility or supply chain disruptions, and recommend mitigation strategies.
- Develop and implement strategies for continuous improvement in demand planning processes, such as enhancing data collection, improving forecast accuracy, or refining collaborative planning practices.
- Regularly measure and report on forecast accuracy and track improvements.
The competences:
- Manages Ambiguities
- Manages Complexity
- Analytical skills
- Plans and Aligns
- Communication Effectively
- Strong passion for continuously improving forecast results while engaging the organization on demand insights.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work under tight deadlines
- Strong analytical skills.
- Ability to analyze complex data set and derive actionable conclusions
- Ability to work independently and take initiative
What can you expect from Mars?
- Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.
- Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
- Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
- An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.
#LI-KD1
Find out more about what Mars can offer you by visiting our Global Careers site.
Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.
Similar Jobs
What We Do
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.
Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, Pet Partners™, and VCA™.
We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.
