JOB DESCRIPTION
Role Mission
The Demand Planning Specialist is responsible for forecasting and demand management activities with customers, and products globally.
Captures historical trends, manages exceptions, and creates and maintains forecast models, incorporating business intelligence and forecast information gathered from sales, marketing, finance and other sources.
In managing these inputs, the Demand Planner is accountable for presenting a total demand picture to drive collaboration between stakeholders.
Demand Planning Specialist is responsible for creating necessary databases, downloads, and reporting to support process activities.
As leader of the demand planning process within the IBP cycle, the Demand Planning Specialist will facilitate stakeholder meetings; directing participants towards collaboration and consensus in finalizing the demand forecast as well as identifying demand drivers and assumptions.
Key Accountabilities
- Develop operational demand forecasts at multiple levels of aggregation and regions across multiple time horizons;
- Develop and maintain forecasting models using excel and/or a demand management tool;
- Review historical sales trends, manage outlier data points, research demand drivers, prepare forecast data, help develop statistical forecast models, and evaluate forecast results using root cause analysis and correction;
- Coordinate cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refine the forecast model to reflect updated sales and marketing assumptions;
- Identify products with key growth factors and operational constraints to help steer product development;
- Provide input to the Supply Planning and assist developing inventory strategies on existing items, new products, and product phase-outs or migrations;
- Closely coordinate and communicate customer action plans with supply planning;
- Collaborate with sales, customers, back office to understand demand forecast drivers;
- Utilize a collaborative and consensus approach by working with Sales, Marketing and Controlling to obtain and ensure that current and accurate information is used for demand forecasts;
- Assist with design and implementation of demand planning tool;
- Create key performance metrics to improve effectiveness of the demand planning.
Desired Skills and Experience
Key Requirements
- Basic understanding of statistical analysis;
- Knowledge of ERP/MRP, BI Tools, CRM systems. Experience with SAP a plus;
- Strong proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint;
- Experience in Powerbi reporting preferred;
- Good organisational skills and detail orientation;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presentation skills;
- Demonstrated initiative, solid judgment and creativity in overcoming obstacles;
- Ability to work in a deadline-oriented environment;
- Ability to interface well at different levels of the organization;
- Fluent in English, knowledge of French and/or German is very welcome;
- Demonstrated experience in collaboration with cross-functional teammates is a plus.
Seniority Level
- 3-5 years of demand planning experience;
- Direct experience in working with a demand management implementation preferred
Full-time/Stage/
Full time
Location
Milan Head Office with availability to travel for 30%-50% of the time