Demand Planning Analyst

Join our team as a Demand Planning Analyst, based in Chicago, IL or Kansas City, MO, and play a key role in shaping our supply chain success. In this newly created position, you'll oversee daily demand planning operations, partnering closely with supply planning to achieve business performance goals. You'll lead the consensus process across cross-functional teams to deliver accurate shipment forecasts and maintain item, customer, and distribution center forecasts that inform decisions across Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing. This position reports directly to the Director of Sales and Operations Planning.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with sales, marketing, optimization, and finance to understand known demand trends related to marketing programs, new product introductions, pricing changes and other events that impact demand.
• Lead the monthly consensus process based on the information gathered and develop a statistical based forecast (24 months) to meet service and inventory goals.
• Track monthly forecast errors (MAPE/BIAS) to identify contributing factors and adjust the necessary items. Provide product group and item mix analysis and provide insights to lead volume discussions.
• Understand supply chain implications of forecast changes. Perform planning system maintenance to eliminate exception errors and improve forecast accuracy.
• Assist with data extraction utilizing SAP and Power BI tools to create historical reports for demand planning. Manage the monthly S&OP KPI report. Assist with monthly Executive S&OP slides as needed.
• Actively and clearly communicate with the sales team and strategic accounts to validate current forecasts and report any deviations while owning the demand elements of and fully supporting S&OP. Provide forecasts of anticipated demand for new and/or proposed new products, working with sales and marketing as appropriate.
• Partner with finance to create accurate financial forecasts.
• Proactively partner with other functional leaders to develop optimal plans to support and evolve the business, including weekly executional reviews.
• Manage SAP demand planning related master data.
• Standardize planning templates across division to facilitate the monthly S&OP planning meetings with all stakeholders, implement and communicate outputs and actions.
• Exhibit the values and ethics of Dairy Farmers of America through honesty, discretion, and sound judgment

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain or related field required.
• 1-3 years of experience working in S&OP environment with strong knowledge of demand planning processes.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel. SAP experience is a plus.
• Certification and/or Licenses - Preferred: Six Sigma Green or Black Belt; APICS Certified Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), or Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM); and Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Qualified candidates must reside in Chicago, IL or Kansas City, MO.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of supply chain analytics, including industry standards and methodologies.
• Skill in quantitative financial analysis techniques, including data manipulation.
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Able to multi-task and problem solve.
• Able to consider both strategic and practical implications for proposed course of action.
• Able to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Able to manage multiple various projects with sense of urgency.
• Able to promote a team environment.
• Able to effectively analyze and interpret data.
• Able to handle challenging or conflict situations with tact and professionalism.
• Able to elicit cooperation from variety of sources, including upper management, plant locations, and others.
• Able to work collaboratively with employees across departments and build consensus around key initiatives.
• Able to perform task and duties without constant supervision.

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans