Demand Planner

Aardvark Swift Recruitment Ltd; Lee-on-the-Solent; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading publisher of licensed family video games is seeking a Demand Planner to enhance forecasting accuracy and sell-through visibility. The role involves collaborating with Sales, Finance, and Operations to ensure optimal product delivery and data-driven decision-making. Successful candidates will have experience in the gaming or entertainment industries and possess strong analytical skills.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in demand planning or forecasting.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables and forecasting models.
• Ability to manage and analyze sales data from retail partners.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain forecasts for all titles across global markets.
• Reconcile day-one shipments with sell-through performance.
• Review and validate partner sell-through reports.

Skills

Data interpretation

Excel

Forecasting

Analytical skills

Tools

NetSuite

SAP

Power BI

Job description

Demand Planner
Reports to:Senior Sales Insights Manager
Direct Report:n/a

The Company
Aardvark Swift are recruiting for a leading publisher of licensed family video games, partnering with some of the world’s most iconic family entertainment brands. They bring beloved characters and stories to life across multiple platforms and global markets.
This is an exciting time to join the studio. With a strong pipeline of new releases and growing global reach, they’re expanding their Sales Insights function to enhance forecasting, strengthen the use of data, and support the successful delivery of their titles to market. New team members will be joining a well-established business in a fast-paced, high-impact environment.

This Role
The Demand Planner will play a key role in driving forecasting accuracy and improving sell-through visibility across all territories. This newly created role will sit within the Sales Analytics function, working closely with Sales, Finance, and Operations to ensure we deliver the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time.
The focus of this role is on ensuring accurate forecasts, closely monitoring sell-through data, and supporting timely revenue recognition and stock tracking. The Demand Planner will also play a critical role in validating partner-reported data to ensure the business is acting on accurate, timely insights.

Key Responsibilities
Forecasting & Demand Planning

• Create and maintain forecasts for all titles and SKUs across global markets, aligning with Sales and commercial planning goals.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to incorporate launch expectations, promotional plans, and retail feedback into launch forecasts.
• Adjust forecasts based on post-launch sell-through trends and market conditions.

Revenue Tracking & True-Ups

• Reconcile day-one shipments with sell-through performance to support regular revenue recognition and forecasting accuracy.
• Collaborate with the Finance team to ensure revenue adjustments accurately reflect in-channel performance.
• Track forecast accuracy and revenue risk by region and partner, identifying potential shortfalls or opportunities.

Data Validation & Reporting Accuracy

• Review and validate partner sell-through reports to flag inaccuracies, gaps, or delayed data.
• Work with the Commercial Analyst to ensure consistent data formats and reliable inputs into dashboards and reporting tools.
• Maintain a clear audit trail of demand assumptions vs. actuals to support business reviews.

Inventory & Channel Management

• Monitor stock levels in-channel post-launch to identify under/over-performance trends.
• Flag potential risks related to excess or ageing stock and advise on corrective actions (markdowns etc.).
• Collaborate with Operations and Sales to optimise allocation strategies for initial shipments.

Skills and Requirements
Experience

• 3+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or commercial planning, ideally within the video game, consumer products, or entertainment industries.
• Demonstrated ability to manage day-one shipment forecasting and monitor post-launch product performance.
• Experience working with sales data from retail partners, including validation and troubleshooting of third-party reporting.

Technical Skills

• Advanced Excel skills essential, including use of forecasting models, pivot tables, and scenario analysis.
• Familiarity with demand planning or ERP tools (e.g., NetSuite, SAP) and data visualisation platforms (e.g., Power BI) preferred.
• Comfortable working with varied data sources and formats, with the ability to clean, interpret, and consolidate data from multiple partners.

Analytical & Commercial Acumen

• Strong understanding of revenue tracking, stock movement, and sell-through dynamics across global markets.
• Capable of reconciling forecasts with actuals and providing clear recommendations based on performance variances.
• Commercially minded with an ability to translate data into business risk or opportunity.

Soft Skills

• Exceptional attention to detail—able to spot inconsistencies in large datasets and challenge assumptions constructively.
• Proactive and organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across teams and time zones.
• Confident communicator, able to present findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborative mindset, comfortable working cross-functionally with Sales, Finance, Operations, and external partners.