Demand Planner

Insight Global; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Insight Global in Charlotte, NC seeks an experienced Inventory Planner to develop demand forecasts and coordinate supply plans for network and fiber-related materials. You will manage thousands of SKUs in MRP environments and align supply with business demand.

Collaborating with operations, finance, and the supply chain, you will drive forecast accuracy, optimize inventory, and monitor material availability to mitigate risks and improve service levels.

Qualifications

• 3–7+ years of experience in demand planning, supply planning, or inventory management.
• Strong experience with MRP systems and large SKU counts.
• Advanced Excel skills for modeling, data manipulation, and forecasting.
• Deep understanding of inventory movement, controls, and reconciliation processes.
• Experience in large, complex commercial or enterprise environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain demand forecasts and supply plans across a portfolio of network and fiber-related materials.
• Manage planning for thousands of SKUs in MRP environments.
• Align supply plans with business demand (commercial segment).
• Monitor material availability and proactively mitigate supply risks.
• Oversee end-to-end inventory lifecycle including procurement and replenishment.
• Execute and manage MRP processes across a large SKU base.
• Maintain data integrity and planning accuracy in current systems (primarily Excel-based).
• Drive inventory accuracy through cycle counts and reconciliation processes.
• Identify and implement improvements to forecasting accuracy and planning workflows.
• Define, track, and report key supply chain KPIs (inventory accuracy, service levels, cost).

Skills

Demand planning

Supply planning

Inventory management

MRP systems

Advanced Excel

Forecasting

Data manipulation

Vendor management

Tools

SAP APO/IBP

Blue Yonder

Kinaxis

Job description

• Develop and maintain demand forecasts and supply plans across a diverse portfolio of network and fiber-related materials
• Manage planning for thousands of SKUs (including ~3,000+ items in MRP environments)
• Align supply plans with business demand (commercial segment)
• Monitor material availability and proactively mitigate supply risks

Inventory Lifecycle Management

• Oversee end-to-end inventory lifecycle, including procurement, replenishment, tracking, and disposition of excess or obsolete materials
• Manage complex inventory environments with fiber-based components and device-specific configurations
• Track and manage high-volume, high-variability inventory tied to fiber wavelength-based devices and routing components

MRP & Planning Execution

• Execute and manage Material Requirements Planning (MRP) processes across a large SKU base
• Maintain data integrity and planning accuracy within current systems (primarily Excel-based workflows)
• Support transition toward more advanced planning tools and automation capabilities
• Drive inventory accuracy through cycle counts, reconciliation processes, and root-cause analysis
• Ensure proper tracking of inventory movements across locations and vendors
• Partner with operations, finance, and supply chain teams to resolve discrepancies

Process Optimization

• Identify and implement improvements in inventory management, forecasting accuracy, and planning workflows
• Reduce reliance on manual Excel processes by supporting tool evaluation and implementation efforts
• Standardize planning processes across different product categories and vendor systems

Performance Management

• Define, track, and report key supply chain KPIs, including:
• Inventory accuracy
• Material flow efficiency
• Service levels / fill rates
• Cost management and inventory optimization
• Provide insights and recommendations to drive continuous improvement

Required Qualifications:

• 3–7+ years of experience in demand planning, supply planning, or inventory management
• Strong experience working with MRP systems and large SKU counts
• Advanced Excel skills (modeling, data manipulation, forecasting)
• Deep understanding of inventory movement, controls, and reconciliation processes
• Experience in large, complex commercial or enterprise business environments

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in telecommunications, fiber networks, or similar technical supply chains
• Familiarity with fiber-based inventory (e.g., wavelength-based devices, network equipment)
• Experience working with multiple vendors and vendor-specific SKUs
• Exposure to supply chain planning tools (e.g., SAP APO/IBP, Blue Yonder, Kinaxis, etc.)
• Experience supporting transformation from manual planning to system-driven planning