Forecasting Analyst

Waitrose & Partners; Derby; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company seeks a data-driven forecasting specialist to drive operational excellence. This role involves creating and refining demand forecasts using complex data analysis, ensuring timely delivery while collaborating with diverse stakeholders. It's a hybrid opportunity that allows flexibility, with key responsibilities spanning forecasting, stakeholder engagement, and data analysis. Ideal candidates will have strong analytical skills and a collaborative mindset.

Qualifications

• Experience with data mining tools.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• Ability to communicate technical insights effectively.

Responsibilities

• Create demand forecasts through detailed data analysis.
• Influence and optimise planning decisions based on insights.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance data quality.

Skills

Forecasting using large data sets

Data driven decision making

Analytical capability

Collaborative working with stakeholders

Exceptional communication skills

Influencing skills

Job description

About the role

At a glance:

• Salary: £41,900.00 - 69,100.00 per annum

• Contract type: This is a 6 month secondment opportunity until Jan 31st 2026

• Hours and location of the role:

  • 35 hours per week

  • Some weekend working expected, typically 1 x Saturday OR 1 x Sunday every half

  • Your home location will be our Bracknell Head Office

  • The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The team attend the office once a week to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings

Key responsibilities:

• Create demand forecasts through detailed data analysis at item-location level which are the foundation for all end to end supply chain planning, stock ordering and replenishment activity, in order to ensure the successful delivery of the Operational and Trading plans

• Influencing and optimising planning decisions in the Category Proposition Groups for both BAU category performance and trading events, by using insights, analysis and providing direction

• Refine and optimise demand forecasts by continually analysing, interpreting and improving forecast data at item-location level

• Working collaboratively with stakeholders to identify and realise opportunities to improve the scope and quality of the data which drives the forecast e.g. Customer Insight, Category Proposition Groups, B2B, eCommerce and Retail

• Translating data and technical insight into language which can be understood and actioned by stakeholders

• Building the credibility and influence of the forecasting team in order to engage the business in using forecasts to drive and optimise business decisions

• Developing and educating Planners on use of forecasts to inform decision making

• Appropriate reporting and analysis on forecasting KPIs

• Analysing complex data sets using data mining tools to predict outcomes by finding anomalies, patterns and correlations within large data sets

• Taking ownership of own individual forecast accuracy, undertaking detailed analysis where needed to optimise future forecasts

• Identify and validate relevant and new data sources and inputs, both within the Partnership and externally e.g. customer plans, trading plans, weather, seasonal events, local events

• Taking decisive action in response to changes in trading conditions, using data, judgement and knowledge of the category, to optimise outcomes

• Create forecasting models and optimise demand forecasts for events; national and local (e.g. Christmas and Wimbledon)

• Ensuring the timely delivery of short, medium and long term demand forecasts to enable planning activity to be completed in time

• Proactively engaging with stakeholders to ensure detailed knowledge of life cycle activity in relation to new items, mid life changes, and end of life are incorporated into all forecasts

• Proactively engaging with stakeholders to ensure detailed knowledge of upcoming new shops, shop closures and refurbishment activity are incorporated into optimised forecasts

• Ensuring demand history is sufficiently accurate, undertaking data cleansing activity where appropriate

Essential skills and/or experience you'll need:

• Forecasting using large data sets, knowledge of querying tools

• Data driven decision making and significant analytical capability

• Collaborative working with stakeholders, exceptional communication and influencing skills

Desirable skills and/or experience you may have:

• Knowledge of Luminate Demand Edge

About The Partnership

We're the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We're not just employees, we're Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there's never been a more exciting time to join us.

We're ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we're free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It's important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you'll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.