Demand Planner

Abbott (abbottcareers2 board); Madison (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott is seeking a Lead Demand Planner in Madison, WI to drive demand planning for high-volume portfolios and align forecasts with supply and business plans. You will develop forecasts, apply governance, and partner with Commercial, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to balance demand with capacity and inventory.

You will analyze historical data, integrate market intelligence, support new product introductions, and monitor forecast accuracy while contributing to continuous improvement in

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a field related to essential duties; or Associates Degree and 2 years of relevant experience; or High School Diploma or GED with 4 years of relevant experience.
• 8 years of experience in demand planning, supply chain planning, forecasting, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing demand planning strategies for complex or high-volume products.
• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously and make decisions with limited or evolving information.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in country where work will be performed; no visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Applies demand planning expertise to define forecasting approaches, assumptions, and governance for assigned products.
• Develops and maintains demand forecasts by analyzing historical data and incorporating market intelligence.
• Engages cross-functional stakeholders to clarify demand drivers and align forecasts with business needs.
• Performs demand scenario analysis and risk assessment for new products and international expansion.
• Partners with Supply Planning to ensure feasibility with capacity and inventory strategies.
• Monitors forecast accuracy, bias, and KPIs; identifies improvements for planning processes.
• Prepares and communicates demand insights and updates to leadership for timely decisions.
• Demonstrates adaptability in a dynamic environment and maintains regular attendance.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Outlook

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

The Opportunity

The Lead Demand Planner is responsible for the development, execution, and support of continuous improvements to demand planning processes for high-volume and/or complex product portfolios. This role independently develops and maintains demand forecasts and applies established demand planning standards and governance for assigned products, ensuring alignment with Abbott's business plans, supply capabilities, and growth objectives.

In partnership with key business stakeholders, the Lead Demand Planner develops and maintains demand plans that balance customer demand, operational feasibility, and financial targets across the product lifecycle, including support for new product introductions and international expansion initiatives.

What You'll Work On

• Applies strong functional expertise in demand planning for assigned products, developing and executing demand planning strategies, defining forecasting approaches, assumptions, and governance, and contributing to demand review discussions.
• Develops and maintains demand forecasts for assigned portfolios by analyzing historical data, incorporating market intelligence, and integrating cross-functional inputs to support operational and strategic decision-making.
• Engages business stakeholders (Commercial, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Operations) to clarify demand drivers, prioritize business needs, support demand targets, and ensure forecasts reflect agreed-upon business assumptions.
• Conducts demand scenario analysis and risk assessment related to new product introductions, product lifecycle changes, and international expansion, providing input and recommendations to support risk mitigation planning.
• Partners closely with Supply Planning to ensure demand plans are feasible, aligned with capacity and inventory strategies, and appropriately reflect operational constraints.
• Monitors demand performance, including forecast accuracy, bias, and key demand KPIs, and supports continuous improvement initiatives by identifying issues, trends, and opportunities to enhance planning effectiveness.
• Prepares and communicates demand insights, analyses, and ad hoc planning updates to cross-functional teams and leadership through clear analyses and presentations to support timely and informed decisions.
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic work environment, maintaining a proactive and team-oriented approach
• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support and comply with the company's Quality Management System policies and procedures.
• Ability to act with an inclusion mindset and model these behaviors for the organization.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to work on a mobile device, tablet, or in front of a computer screen and/or perform typing for approximately 90% of a typical working day.
• Ability and means to travel between local Madison, WI Abbott locations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a field related to essential duties; or Associates Degree and 2 years of relevant experience; or High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) and 4 years of relevant experience.
• 8 years of experience in demand planning, supply chain planning, forecasting, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing demand planning strategies for complex or high-volume products.
• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously and make decisions with limited or evolving information.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in country where work will be performed on a full or part-time basis. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Finance or Statistics.
• 3+ years of experience working within ERP and/or demand planning systems (e.g., SAP, SAP IBP, o9, Anaplan).
• Experience leading or significantly contributing to S&OP or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes.
• Experience supporting new product launches, international demand planning, or complex product portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience driving process improvement or change management within planning organizations.
• Familiarity with regulated environments such as 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, an