Strategic Demand Planner

Confidential Hires; London; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Hires in London, Ontario is seeking an experienced Strategic Demand Planner to develop and maintain a strategic demand plan, coach junior planners, and back up S&OP functions. You will align operational plans with financial goals and support service levels and inventory health.

The role requires 5-7 years in demand planning, expertise with Power BI and ERP systems, and strong analytics. You will lead KPI reporting, 16-month forecasts, and cross-functional alignment with Sales,

Qualifications

• College Diploma/University Degree in Supply Chain, Business, Economics or Statistics.
• ASCM/APICS and IBF.
• CPF or ACPF certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as backup for the S&OP Manager, supporting facilitation and execution of the broader S&OP process when required
• Own KPI reporting and demand planning for department, including variance narratives, trend analysis, and leadership insights
• Prepare rolling 16-month demand forecast at the SKU–customer level, incorporating statistical, Sales, and Category inputs
• Lead cross-functional alignment ensuring consistent understanding of assumptions, risks, and opportunities across Sales, Product, Finance, and Supply driving maturity of the department S&OP process
• Provide consultation re complex forecasting issues improving demand quality, contributing to stronger fill rate/inventory performance
• Lead S&OP process, including cycle management, material preparation, data review, outcome publishing, and system updates
• Manage activities for the Commercial category (US/Canada)
• Represent demand planning in S&OP meetings, ensuring continuity of process and clear communication of risks, opportunities, and forecast performance
• Coach junior demand planners to elevate forecasting capability, analytics, etc.
• Improve forecast accuracy by reducing bias, applying analytics/leveraging customer trends
• Conduct root-cause analysis on forecast misses and drive continuous improvement
• Maintain and enhance forecasting metrics and trackers (accuracy, bias, etc.)
• Lead meetings with Sales, presenting data-driven recommendations
• Collaborate with Supply Planning to minimize disruptions and ensure alignment
• Support CI of the S&OP process, including routines, reporting, tools, data quality and analytical methods
• Execute monthly forecasting procedures utilizing Netstock
• Partner with Sales, Category, and Finance to understand demand drivers and assumptions

Skills

Demand planning

Forecasting

Power BI

SQL familiarity

Advanced Excel

Analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Communication skills

ERP systems

Education

College Diploma/University Degree in Supply Chain, Business, Economics or Statistics

ASCM/APICS and IBF

CPF or ACPF certifications preferred

Tools

Power BI

SQL

JD Edwards ERP

Excel

VBA

Job description

We have an immedate opening for an experienced Strategic Demand Planner to join our growing manufacturing team near London, Ontario. You will have full responsibility to develop and maintain a strategic demand plan, coach junior planners and provide backup support to the Demand Planning and S&OP functions. This position directly supports service level performance, inventory health, forecast quality, and revenue alignment.

Our ideal candidate loves manufacturing, is all about the details and thrives in a fast-paced, growth oriented environment. If you are passionate about resolving challenges in real time and connecting operational plans with financial goals this could be a perfect fit.

KEY RESPONSIBILTIES:

• Act as backup for the S&OP Manager, supporting facilitation and execution of the broader S&OP process when required
• Own KPI reporting and demand planning for department, including variance narratives, trend analysis, and leadership insights
• Prepare rolling 16-month demand forecast at the SKU–customer level, incorporating statistical, Sales, and Category inputs
• Lead cross-functional alignment ensuring consistent understanding of assumptions, risks, and opportunities across Sales, Product, Finance, and Supply driving maturity of the department S&OP process
• Provide consultation re complex forecasting issues improving demand quality, contributing to stronger fill rate/inventory performance
• Lead S&OP process, including cycle management, material preparation, data review, outcome publishing, and system updates
• Manage activities for the Commercial category (US/Canada)
• Represent demand planning in S&OP meetings, ensuring continuity of process and clear communication of risks, opportunities, and forecast performance
• Coach junior demand planners to elevate forecasting capability, analytics, etc.
• Improve forecast accuracy by reducing bias, applying analytics/leveraging customer trends
• Conduct root-cause analysis on forecast misses and drive continuous improvement
• Maintain and enhance forecasting metrics and trackers (accuracy, bias, etc.)
• Lead meetings with Sales, presenting data-driven recommendations
• Collaborate with Supply Planning to minimize disruptions and ensure alignment
• Support CI of the S&OP process, including routines, reporting, tools, data quality and analytical methods
• Execute monthly forecasting procedures utilizing Netstock
• Partner with Sales, Category, and Finance to understand demand drivers and assumptions

QUALIFICATIONS:

• College Diploma/University Degree in Supply Chain, Business, Economics or Statistics
• 5 - 7 years advanced experience in demand planning, forecasting, S&OP & IBP
• ASCM/APICS and IBF
• CPF or ACPF certifications preferred
• Proven excellence in analysis, decision-making, and problem solving
• Skilled at balancing tactical execution with broader S&OP process thinking
• Advanced Power BI (dashboards, data models), SQL familiarity (e.g., Viewpoint Sequel)
• Strong critical thinking and visualization skills to drive continuous improvement
• Ability to take calculated risks to drive customer and business value
• Excellent presentation skills, ability to translate complex data into actionable insights
• Strong work ethics, positive team attitude, ability to collaborate across functions
• ERP experience (JD Edwards) an asset
• Advanced MS Office skills (Advanced Excel/VBA/Power Query, Power Automate, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook