The Demand Planner is responsible for driving demand and supply planning across a complex, fiber-based inventory environment supporting Spectrum Business. This role oversees inventory lifecycle management, forecasting, and material planning across a high-SKU portfolio with a strong emphasis on MRP execution, inventory accuracy, and operational efficiency. This position operates in a highly analytical, Excel-driven environment today, with a forward-looking mandate to improve planning capabilities, processes, and tool adoption.
Key Responsibilities:
Demand & Supply Planning
- 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 for Spectrum Business (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