Senior Manager, Demand Planning

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, Demand Planning is responsible for leading a significant demand planning function and developing the organizational capabilities required to improve forecast accuracy, demand visibility, business alignment, and operational performance across the enterprise.
This role provides strategic leadership over multiple teams, forecasting processes, and planning initiatives while ensuring alignment between commercial objectives, customer demand, and supply chain execution. The Senior Manager partners closely with Category, Marketing, Supply Chain, Inventory Planning, Finance, Operations, Sales, and Technology leaders to translate business strategy into accurate demand forecasts and actionable planning decisions.
The Senior Manager is accountable for delivering sustained improvements in forecast accuracy, forecast bias, planning effectiveness, inventory productivity, customer availability, and organizational capability through strong leadership, strategic thinking, and operational execution.
This role will sit alongside the Sr Manager IPR position, add ownership of S&OP/IBP leadership, forecast consensus management, promotional forecasting, new product forecasting, and demand sensing capabilities.

Responsibilities

Strategic Demand Planning Leadership

• Develop and execute enterprise demand planning strategies aligned with company growth objectives and financial plans.
• Lead development of short-term, mid-term, and long-range demand forecasts across product categories and business units.
• Establish forecasting methodologies that improve forecast accuracy, demand visibility, and business responsiveness.
• Evaluate demand risks, market shifts, customer trends, and business opportunities impacting forecast performance.
• Ensure forecasting assumptions appropriately balance revenue goals, customer service, inventory investment, and operational constraints.
• Establish demand planning priorities that support long-term business growth and enterprise objectives.

Forecasting & Demand Management

• Own the enterprise demand forecast and consensus planning process.
• Lead forecast generation utilizing statistical models, market intelligence, historical trends, promotional plans, and business inputs.
• Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy, forecast bias, and demand signal responsiveness.
• Oversee promotional, seasonal, lifecycle, and new product forecasting activities.
• Accountable for improving inventory productivity, working capital efficiency, service levels, and customer availability through effective demand planning practices.
• Ensure alignment between demand plans and supply chain execution capabilities.
• Monitor forecast performance and implement corrective actions when business assumptions change.

S&OP / Integrated Business Planning Leadership

• Lead monthly demand review and forecast alignment processes as part of the S&OP/IBP framework.
• Facilitate executive discussions regarding demand assumptions, market risks, and growth opportunities.
• Drive cross-functional alignment on demand expectations and operational implications.
• Develop scenario modeling and contingency plans to support changing business conditions.
• Ensure consensus demand plans are aligned with financial objectives and operational capabilities.
• Represent demand planning in executive planning and business review meetings.
Organizational Leadership
• Lead multiple teams, managers, or large demand planning functions.
• Create a high-performance culture centered on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear priorities, goals, and performance expectations.
• Develop organizational structures that support scalability and business growth.
• Foster engagement, ownership, and leadership development throughout the organization.
• Build strong succession pipelines and future leadership capability.

Business Partnership & Enterprise Influence

• Serve as a strategic partner to Category, Marketing, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Technology leaders.
• Influence enterprise decisions through forecasting expertise, data, and business insights.
• Drive alignment across commercial and operational functions on demand assumptions and forecast objectives.
• Represent the Demand Planning organization in strategic business initiatives and executive forums.
• Build credibility and trust with senior leaders throughout the organization.
• Resolve cross-functional issues impacting demand signal quality and forecast performance.

Operational Leadership

• Establish planning governance, forecasting routines, and performance management processes.
• Drive execution consistency across forecasting teams and business functions.
• Monitor forecast performance and organizational effectiveness.
• Remove barriers that limit planning effectiveness and forecast quality.
• Promote standardization of forecasting methodologies and best practices.
• Ensure planning processes support scalable and sustainable business growth.

Transformation & Capability Development

• Lead forecasting transformation initiatives, system implementations, and process redesign efforts.
• Drive adoption of advanced forecasting capabilities, demand sensing tools, AI/ML forecasting models, and predictive analytics.
• Champion modernization of demand planning processes, systems, and decision-support tools.
• Identify opportunities to improve forecast quality, responsiveness, and organizational effectiveness.
• Sponsor initiatives that strengthen enterprise forecasting and planning capabilities.
• Measure and communicate the business impact of forecasting improvements and transformation efforts.

Strategic Analytics & Performance Management

• Establish forecasting scorecards, performance metrics, and planning governance measures.
• Utilize advanced analytics to identify emerging demand trends, market shifts, and forecasting risks.
• Drive fact-based decision-making throughout the organization.
• Ensure organizational focus on forecast performance drivers and revenue opportunities.
• Develop executive-level demand insights, scenario analyses, and business recommendations.
• Promote analytical rigor, accountability, and continuous improvement across teams.

Talent & Leadership Development

• Develop managers and future planning leaders.
• Coach leaders on performance management, talent development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Identify and accelerate high-potential talent.
• Build development plans and succession strategies for critical planning roles.
• Strengthen forecasting and leadership capabilities across the organization.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, analytical excellence, and growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Economics, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, Analytics, related field.
• 8-12 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, analytics, supply chain, merchandising, retail operations, or related disciplines.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience, including leadership of managers or large teams.
• Demonstrated success leading forecasting organizations and improving forecast performance.
• Strong understanding of demand planning, statistical forecasting, demand sensing, S&OP/IBP, inventory management, and supply chain operations.
• Experience leading cross-functional planning and business initiatives.
• Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Experience influencing executive-level business decisions through data-driven insights and recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise demand planning organizations.
• Experience with SAP IBP, Blue Yonder, Kinaxis, Oracle, o9, Anaplan, or similar planning platforms.
• Experience with advanced forecasting methodologies, predictive analytics, and demand sensing technologies.
• Experience leading organizational transformation initiatives.
• MBA, Master's degree, or other advanced degree.

Physical Demands / Working Environment

• Standard office environment with the ability to sit, stand, and operate office equipment.
• Travel may be required occasionally.
• Ability to work extended hours as needed during peak business cycles or project demands

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