Senior Demand Planner

Description

We are a global leader in food & beverage ingredients. Pioneers at heart, we operate at the forefront of consumer trends to provide food & beverage manufacturers with products and ingredients that will delight their consumers. Making a positive impact on people and planet is all part of the delight. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable and transparent supply. Supplying products and ingredients at scale is just the start. We add value through our unique, complementary portfolio of natural, delicious and nutritious products. With our fresh thinking, we help our customers unleash the sensory and functional attributes of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices so they can create naturally good food & beverage products that meet consumer expectations. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Sr Director of Supply Chain, the Senior Demand Planner will support the attainment of the Company's forecast accuracy / MAPE targets by continually improving our demand planning processes.  This position is responsible for the ongoing execution and improvement of the Company's Sales and Operation Planning (S&OP) process. The role of the Demand Planner will deliver value to ofi through innovative network planning and optimization, while consistently delivering a 24-month rolling demand plan in accordance with monthly demand reviews.

In their capacity as tactical administrator of S&OP, the Senior Demand Planner will be required to develop and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders outside of planning (Sales, Product Line, Manufacturing Operations, Customer Operations, Finance, HR, IT, etc.).

The ideal candidate will have strong problem-solving skills, ability to think critically and with ambiguity, able to start new projects with ease, have a heightened sense] of responsibility and ownership, as well as a desire and passion to go far beyond the boundaries of the job.

Responsibilities :

• Develop 24-month rolling demand forecasts in $ / units, which become inputs for Latest Estimates, Operating Plans, and financial projections.
• Document assumptions underlying the forecast and highlighting key changes; monitor market environment vs. assumptions.
• Coordinate the monthly Demand Review meeting to gain agreement on the latest 24-month forecasts using input from Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service.  If the organization cannot reach consensus, recommends final decisions to leadership for review and decision making.
• Monitor SKU trends and make recommendations on slow moving or obsolete inventory
• Lead monthly S&OP Process
• Create and implement a weekly forecasting process, covering a 13-week horizon, at the SKU, location level.  The weekly process includes comparing orders with forecast, making decisions on adjusting upcoming weeks and identifying abnormal demand patterns; creating and reviewing forecasting exception reports.
• Assist in developing / improving forecast error metrics at all levels of the process and achieving continuous improvement goals on forecast bias and forecast error.  Ensuring that root-cause analysis and corrective actions are completed.
• Achieve and maintain the forecasting process at Class A Planning and Control levels.
• Lead installation of supporting software for statistical forecasting and forecast reporting.   Ensuring that the system is used where appropriate for base business. Own, maintains, and updates the forecasting tool. Identify automation and system enhancements.
• Where supply constraints exist, develop and evaluate demand plan options such as promotion and launch dates with Sales and Marketing to optimize service levels and inventories.
• Serve as the process contributor for the demand planning process; evaluating changes which could improve results, monitoring performance of the process, surfacing and helping to resolve issues.
• Use statistical techniques to analyze and improve forecast accuracy, select forecast model types, and incorporate customer-level forecast information, where appropriate.
• Use historical data and promotion grid information to predict the expected lift from future promotions.
• Develop models to predict demand for new product introductions.
• Help design, document, and implement an effective forecasting process for ofi including metrics, procedures, timing, and responsibilities.
• Perform “What-If?” scenarios based on price, market share, and competitive data.
• Assist in the achievement of business goals on Forecast Bias and Error.
• Ensure that all forecasts are in the formal forecasting system and are transmitted to DRP by scheduled dates.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to create accurate demand plans to support business strategy
• Inventory management- develop inventory targets to optimize inventory and service levels, closely monitor               the health of the inventory, identify product shortages & slow / aging inventory
• Identify opportunities to the sales team where we have excess inventory
• Communicate the demand forecast and assumptions to supply and financial organizations.
• Effectively leading a forecast analyst(s) in the recognition of all demand for products to support the market.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Position Requirements

The pay for this role in the state of CA ranges from $77,000 and $110,000 and is based on the position responsibilities and geographic location. Actual pay within this range may be determined based on candidate’s experience, qualifications and / or other determining factors.

Note : This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support at : US-Talent.Acquisition@olamnet.com

At ofi, we celebrate our diversity. Olam Americas Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.