Demand Planner

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About The Role

The Demand Planning Associate Manager will partner with Sales, Marketing, Operations and Finance to develop an accurate demand forecast for all SKUs in the designated area of the business. Accountable for providing focus and integration of data from Marketing, Sales, Customer Marketing, and Finance, which are used to develop accurate and timely forecasts supporting Operations, Sales and Financial Planning. Ensure consistency of forecast assumptions across the business unit, including base business trends, promotional plans, and new launch volumes. Responsible for understanding and reinforcing supply planning, marketing and campaign processes to align with forecasting processes. Provide guidance/oversight of SKU level forecasts, to ensure alignment with business direction and consistency with market trends. Communicate demand forecast plans and the assumptions behind them through the supply chain. Work closely with the Supply Planning team to identify and resolve changes in the forecast and their impact on the supply chain. Establish and manage SKU level statistical forecasts for their specific area of accountability. Gather and incorporate all sources of market intelligence to produce the best possible operational forecast. Update and monitor process key performance indicators and diagnostics to ensure continual forecast improvement efforts and prepare written analyses, documentation, reports or other data of a quality requiring minimal supervisory review.

Responsibilities

• Develop accurate demand forecasts for product segment and minimize forecast variability
• Develop strong working knowledge of marketing/sales/customer business plans to validate forecast and accurately reflect business plan alignment
• Develop and maintain 9-month operational forecast by SKU in systems.
• Focus on accuracy of demand plan for new product launches, based on accurate analysis of 3600 marketing plan evaluations and velocity/share expectations
• Analyze historical sales data and future plans while working cross-functionality to achieve continuous improvement in the accuracy of demand forecasts. Using projected demand plans, work towards continuous improvement of forecast accuracy and improve overall demand plan
• Complete post-launch evaluation and capture and apply knowledge learned
• Provide leadership in Key Item Review meetings
• Ensure that appropriate forecasting processes and methods are being followed and updated as needed. Maintain forecast system data integrity. Perform ad hoc analyses, as required, in support of contingency/scenario planning
• Work cross functionally toward continuous improvement of forecast accuracy and improve the error rate below targeted levels of Weighted Absolute Percentage Error (WAPE)
• Participate in special projects, providing leadership as needed on cross-functional teams
  
  

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; ideally in the area of Supply Chain, Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, or other quantitative business discipline
• Minimum 5 years work experience preferably within a FMCG industry; minimum of 2 years forecasting experience
• Software Skills: Proficiency with MS Office required, intermediate MS Excel required, advanced Excel helpful;
• Working knowledge of:
• Use of quantitative methods to analyze situations and solve business problems
• Data management/databases
• OLAP tools
• Consumer marketing
• Supply chain operations
• Must have ability to work cross functionally, build relationships and accel in a team environment
  

Our Benefits

• Eligible for benefits as of date of hire (health, dental, vision, life and other voluntary programs)
• You are immediately vested in Avon's matching contributions to the 401(k) Plan. Avon matches your contributions dollar-for dollar up to 3% of your eligible pay, and $0.50 per dollar on the next 2% of your eligible pay.
• Company sponsored Life insurance, AD&D and Disability benefits with option to buy up
• Commuter, Health Reimbursement (HRA) and Flexible Spending (FSA) accounts
• Family Care (back-up child and elder care) benefit Programs
• Additional voluntary benefit programs available such as group legal, critical care, accident, pet insurance and identity protection insurance.
  
  

Salary Range: $70-75k

Avon is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, religion, citizenship, national origin/ancestry, physical/mental disabilities, military status or any other basis prohibited by law.