Demand Planning Analyst

Source Atlantique; Englewood Cliffs (NJ); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Source Atlantique, Inc. seeks a Demand Planning Analyst to develop and maintain forecasts that support inventory and supply chain efficiency. The role involves analyzing sales trends, customer demand, promotions, and new item launches, coordinating with Sales, Purchasing, and Operations to align demand assumptions.

The ideal candidate has 2-4 years in demand planning, strong Excel skills, and a collaborative mindset to work across functions in a hybrid Englewood Cliffs, NJ environment.

Qualifications

• 2-4 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, inventory management, purchasing, operations planning, or related business functions.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales, forecast, inventory, and customer demand data to support business decisions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across Sales, Category Management, Purchasing, Customer Service, Operations, and Finance.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and review demand forecasts using historical sales, customer forecasts, promotional plans, seasonality, and market and customer insights.
• Analyze forecast versus actual sales performance to identify trends, variances, opportunities, and areas for forecast accuracy improvement.
• Maintain direct relationships with assigned customers to review demand trends, forecast assumptions, promotional activity, inventory needs, and volume expectations.
• Partner with customers, Sales, Category Management, Purchasing, Customer Service, and Operations to validate demand assumptions, support customer planning initiatives, and align on business needs.
• Coordinate and support promotional activity, new item launches, discontinued items, and customer-specific planning initiatives by managing forecast inputs and communicating updates across stakeholders.
• Prepare and distribute demand planning reports, forecast accuracy summaries, and exception reporting to support inventory planning, purchasing decisions, and operational discussions.
• Identify demand risks, supply constraints, and potential inventory impacts while maintaining accurate planning data in forecasting, ERP, and reporting systems.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel proficiency

Forecasting principles

Forecast accuracy

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Source Atlantique, Inc. is a leading independent importer and master distributor of specialty foods in the U.S., established in 1991. We focus on premium European gourmet and natural food brands, including category leaders like If You Care. Our products are sold through a wide range of channels, including specialty and natural food stores, supermarkets, mass merchandisers, and food service. We emphasize top-performing brands and provide exceptional service and quality. Source Atlantique is part of The Food Import Group, a privately owned company with over 60 years of industry experience.

Purpose:

The Demand Planning Analyst plays a key role in developing, maintaining, and improving demand forecasts to support business planning, inventory availability, and supply chain efficiency. This role focuses on analyzing sales trends, customer demand, promotional activity, new item launches, and forecast performance to create data-driven demand plans. The Demand Planning Analyst maintains direct relationships with assigned customers, serving as a key liaison for forecasting, demand planning, and volume alignment activities. The role partners closely with Sales, Category Management, Purchasing, Customer Service, Operations, and other cross-functional teams to align demand assumptions, identify risks and opportunities, and support effective planning decisions.

Essential Job Functions:

• Develop, maintain, and review demand forecasts using historical sales, customer forecasts, promotional plans, seasonality, and market and customer insights.
• Analyze forecast versus actual sales performance to identify trends, variances, opportunities, and areas for forecast accuracy improvement.
• Maintain direct relationships with assigned customers to review demand trends, forecast assumptions, promotional activity, inventory needs, and volume expectations.
• Partner with customers, Sales, Category Management, Purchasing, Customer Service, and Operations to validate demand assumptions, support customer planning initiatives, and align on business needs.
• Coordinate and support promotional activity, new item launches, discontinued items, and customer-specific planning initiatives by managing forecast inputs and communicating updates across stakeholders.
• Prepare and distribute demand planning reports, forecast accuracy summaries, and exception reporting to support inventory planning, purchasing decisions, and operational discussions.
• Identify demand risks, supply constraints, and potential inventory impacts while maintaining accurate planning data in forecasting, ERP, and reporting systems.

Job Requirements:

• 2-4 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, inventory management, purchasing, operations planning, or related business functions.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales, forecast, inventory, and customer demand data to support business decisions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas, and data analysis; experience with ERP or demand planning systems preferred.
• Understanding of forecasting principles, demand variability, seasonality, promotional planning, and forecast accuracy measurement.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across Sales, Category Management, Purchasing, Customer Service, Operations, and Finance.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail in data entry, reporting, forecast maintenance, and planning assumptions.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage deadlines and support multiple customer, item, and category planning needs.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Analytics, Finance, Operations Management, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.

Demands/Physical Requirements:

• Hybrid Work Arrangement: three days remote, two days onsite.
• Must be able to commute to and work from the Englewood Cliffs, NJ office.
• Ability to work at a computer for extended periods and meet deadlines.

Compliance Notes:

This role is based in our Englewood Cliffs, NJ office and is classified as a New Jersey position. It follows a hybrid work arrangement, with three days working from home and two days in the office.