Demand & Supply Planner - GroceryJob SummaryThe Grocery Demand & Supply Planner is responsible for developing, managing, and continuously improving demand forecasts and supply plans across grocery SKUs and programs. This role plays a critical part in aligning sales expectations with purchasing, inventory, and financial strategies across defined planning horizons.
This individual partners closely with Sales and Purchasing to build accurate, time-phased demand plans, while collaborating with Marketing, Finance, and Logistics to ensure effective execution across the end-to-end supply chain. This role requires both strategic oversight and hands-on execution in a fast-paced, high-growth Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) environment.
Key Responsibilities- Develop and maintain demand forecasts across weekly, monthly, and seasonal planning horizons
- Translate sales inputs, promotional plans, and market trends into accurate, data-driven forecasts
- Partner with Sales and Marketing to incorporate customer programs, promotions, and new product launches into demand plans
- Collaborate with Purchasing and Operations to convert demand forecasts into executable supply and procurement plans
- Build and manage supply plans aligned with supplier lead times, production constraints, and distribution requirements
- Lead or support monthly demand review and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) / Integrated Business Planning processes
- Monitor forecast accuracy and continuously refine forecasting models and assumptions
- Analyze POS data, shipment history, promotional lift, and seasonality to improve forecast performance
- Balance service levels, inventory turns, and shrink/spoilage, particularly in perishable categories
- Identify risks and opportunities (e.g., demand variability, supply disruptions) and recommend mitigation strategies
- Partner with Finance to align forecasts with budgets, revenue targets, and financial plans
- Coordinate with Logistics to ensure plans are operationally feasible
- Maintain data integrity across forecasting systems and tools
Education & Certifications- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Statistics, or a related field preferred but not required
- Professional certifications are a plus:
- APICS / ASCM CPIM (Certified in Production & Inventory Management)
- APICS / ASCM CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional)
- IBF CPF (Certified Professional Forecaster)
Experience- 5+ years of experience in demand planning, supply chain planning, or forecasting within a CPG environment (food industry preferred)
- Experience managing SKU-level forecasts across multiple retailers and sales channels
- Experience supporting or leading S&OP / Integrated Business Planning processes
- Proven experience collaborating cross-functionally with:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Finance
- Operations
- Vendors and external partners
- Experience with new product launches and promotional forecasting
- Experience working with retailer POS data (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, or retailer portals)
Technical Skills- Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, Power Query, forecasting models)
- Experience with demand planning or ERP systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Oracle)
- Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret:
- POS data
- Shipment history
- Promotional lift
- Seasonal trends
- Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI) preferred
Leadership & Business Skills- Ability to lead monthly demand review meetings and contribute to S&OP processes
- Strong cross-functional leadership, particularly with Sales and Marketing teams
- Ability to translate sales pipeline and promotional activity into statistical forecasts
- Experience managing and improving forecast accuracy metrics
- Ability to balance customer service levels, inventory investment, and operational constraints
- Capable of mentoring others and helping build demand planning capabilities across the organization
Industry KnowledgeStrong understanding of food CPG dynamics, including:
- Retailer replenishment processes and lead times
- Promotional calendars and trade spend management
- Shelf resets and product lifecycle management
- Perishability and shelf-life considerations
- Co-manufacturing and supplier constraints
Additional Attributes- Hands-on and comfortable building and adjusting forecasts directly
- Able to work effectively with imperfect or incomplete data
- Strong partnership mindset with sales leaders and key account managers
- Comfortable managing rapid SKU growth and innovation pipelines in a dynamic environment
- Ability to help scale processes and develop team capabilities as the organization grows