Demand Planner

Ardagh Group; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Ardagh Group is seeking a Demand Planner in Indianapolis to create, maintain, and analyze statistical forecasts, aiming to improve accuracy, reduce bias, and optimize service and costs. This role collaborates across commercial and production planning to reach consensus and drive forecasting excellence.

Responsibilities include leading IBP/S&OP/S&OE processes, developing multi-year baseline plans, and guiding commercial partners. Travel up to 20% may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, supply chain management, or a related field.
• Three (3) years of strategic experience in a leading commercial or demand planning role.
• Demonstrated ability to perform and lead in a cross-functional team environment.
• Effective analytical skills with proven ability to identify and solve problems.
• Knowledge of forecasting approaches, measurement systems, and risk evaluation.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.

Responsibilities

• Support IBP, S&OP, and S&OE processes.
• Create monthly statistical baseline demand plan: 0–36 months, up to five years.
• Understand changes, insights, and assumptions in the demand plan.
• Perform gap-closing measures in the plan considering volume.
• Engage with account manager and customer account coordinator on commercial developments.
• Capture key insights and trends from all segments/markets monthly.
• Agree on variation from baseline demand to maximize forecast accuracy.
• Ensure the demand plan represents the best view of future demand across the business.
• Drive transformation with the Demand Planning Manager to leverage technology.
• Analyze forecast vs baseline and reconcile to a consensus forecast.
• Facilitate forecast reviews with sales leadership.
• Guide Sales Teams on customer collaboration projects.
• Review and update long-term and short-term planning improvements.
• Hold accountability for short-term planning quality.

Skills

Cross-functional teamwork

Analytical skills

Forecasting knowledge

Problem solving

Travel capability

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, supply chain management, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Blue Yonder

Job description

Role Description

The Demand Planner will create, maintain, and analyze statistical forecasts as well as all activities related to forecasting. This position is responsible for improving forecast accuracy and bias, optimizing service, and costs, and ensuring inventory levels and administrative efficiency. This position collaborates between commercial and production planning to ensure consensus throughout the whole organization. The Demand Planner provides leadership and credibility as the thought leader on demand scenarios that enable constructive conversations both to the company's commercial leadership team as well as to customers.

• Support the Integrated Business Planning (IBP), Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), and Sales and Operations Execution (S&OE) process
• Create monthly statistical baseline demand plan: zero to thirty-six months, periodically to five years
• Understand changes, insights, and assumptions in the demand plan
• Perform gap-closing measures in the plan in consideration of volume
• Engage with the account manager and customer account coordinator in commercial developments
• Capture key insights and trends from all segments/markets every month
• Agree on variation from baseline demand plan to maximize forecast accuracy
• Ensure the demand plan is the best view of future demand at all levels of the business
• Work with Demand Planning Manager to drive transformation by leveraging technology to be best in class
• Analyze customer and sales forecast versus baseline statistical forecast and reconcile to one consensus forecast
• Facilitate forecast reviews and alignment with sales leadership
• Provide guidance to the Sales Teams on customer collaboration projects
• Review and update long-term and short-term planning continuous improvement initiatives
• Hold accountability for short-term planning quality, validity checks, and effectiveness score

Minimum Skills / Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, supply chain management, or a related field
• Three (3) years of strategic experience in a leading commercial or demand planning role involving deep immersion in customer businesses and supply‑side operations (planning, manufacturing, logistics)
• Demonstrated ability to perform and lead in a cross‑functional team environment
• Effective analytical skills with proven ability to identify and solve problems
• Knowledge of forecasting approaches, measurement systems, and risk evaluation
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to travel up to 20%

Preferred Skills / Qualifications

• Advanced proficiency with MS Excel (Formulas, Pivots, VLOOKUPS)
• Prior experience with Integrated Business Planning (IBP)
• Prior experience with Blue Yonder
• Knowledge of forecasting processes, forecasting systems, and statistical models and analysis