Demand Planning Analyst

Northern Lights; Town of Wellsville (NY); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Lights in Wellsville, NY, seeks a Supply Chain Planner to develop and maintain demand forecasts based on orders, history, and anticipated needs. You will align forecasts with Sales, Customer Service, Production, and Purchasing to keep schedules on track.

Collaborate across functions and manage ERP/MRP data, aiming to improve forecast accuracy, inventory control, and on-time delivery in a hybrid work setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or related field.
• 2–4 years hands-on experience in supply chain, demand & forecast planning or related fields.
• Familiar with utilizing Demand Planning software.
• Experience working with MRP/ERP systems.
• Advanced MS Office skills – Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, etc.
• Exhibit Company Core Values of being Customer Focused, Innovative, Action Oriented, Proactive, and Passionate.
• Strong attention to detail with proven examples of follow through and effective communication.
• Ability to work across the entire supply chain – externally with suppliers, and internally with sales, marketing, purchasing and operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update demand forecasts based on orders, historical sales, customer forecasts, and business needs.
• Analyze demand trends, order patterns, seasonality, and changes in customer requirements.
• Collaborate with Sales, Customer Service, Production, and Purchasing to align forecasts with business objectives.
• Monitor changes in customer demand and communicate impacts on production, material requirements, and delivery commitments.
• Forecast, plan and coordinate outside processing demand and communicate anticipated volumes to external providers.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and outside processors to confirm capacity, lead times, and delivery schedules.
• Identify supplier capacity constraints and recovery plans for delays.
• Monitor inventory levels, safety stock, reorder points, and lead times to reduce shortages and excess.
• Balance inventory investment with service levels and operations.

Skills

Forecasting

Demand planning

ERP systems

MRP systems

MS Office

Education

Bachelors in Supply Chain or related

Tools

Demand Planning software

MRP/ERP systems

Job description

• Develop, maintain, and update demand forecasts based on customer orders, historical sales, customer forecasts, and anticipated business needs.
• Analyze demand trends, order patterns, seasonality, and changes in customer requirements.
• Collaborate with Sales, Customer Service, Production, and Purchasing to align demand forecasts with business objectives.
• Monitor changes in customer demand and proactively communicate potential impacts on production schedules, material requirements, and delivery commitments.

Outside Processing and Supplier Coordination

• Forecast, plan and coordinate outside processing demand and communicate anticipated volumes and timing to external service providers.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and outside processors to confirm capacity, lead times, turnaround times, and delivery schedules.
• Identify potential supplier capacity constraints, extended lead times, and processing delays that may affect customer delivery dates.
• Work with suppliers and internal teams to develop recovery plans for delayed or constrained outside processing operations.

Inventory and Material Planning

• Monitor and recommend appropriate inventory levels for raw materials, purchased components and finished goods.
• Review material requirements and coordinate with Purchasing to ensure materials are available to meet production demand.
• Monitor inventory levels, safety stock, reorder points, and lead times to reduce the risk of shortages and excess inventory.
• Identify slow-moving, obsolete, excess, and at-risk inventory and recommend corrective actions.
• Balance inventory investment with customer service levels and operational needs.

Cross-Functional Communication

• Serve as a key point of coordination between Sales, Customer Service, Production, Purchasing, Inventory Control, and outside processing suppliers.
• Communicate forecast changes, material shortages, capacity constraints, and delivery risks to the appropriate stakeholders.
• Participate in production planning meetings, scheduling reviews, and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) discussions, as applicable.
• Provide timely updates regarding demand changes that may affect production priorities or customer commitments.
• Collaborate with internal teams to resolve planning conflicts and improve coordination across the supply chain.

ERP/MRP System Management and Reporting

• Maintain accurate planning parameters, demand forecasts, lead times, and related master data within the ERP/MRP system.
• Review planned orders, purchase requisitions, production orders, and rescheduling recommendations.
• Analyze forecast accuracy, inventory performance, capacity utilization, and schedule adherence.
• Prepare and maintain reports related to demand trends, inventory levels, material availability, and supplier performance.
• Identify discrepancies between system recommendations and actual operating requirements and recommend appropriate adjustments.

Risk Management and Continuous Improvement

• Identify potential risks to production continuity and customer delivery, including material shortages, supplier delays, capacity limitations, and demand fluctuations.
• Develop contingency plans to address supply constraints and changing customer requirements.
• Recommend improvements to forecasting accuracy, inventory management and production flows
• Analyze root causes of recurring shortages, scheduling disruptions, and late deliveries.
• Support initiatives to reduce lead times, expedite costs, excess inventory, and operational inefficiencies.
• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts across planning, purchasing, manufacturing, and supply chain operations.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or related field, preferred
• 2-4 years’ hands‑on experience in supply chain, demand &forecast planning or related fields preferred
• Familiar with utilizing Demand Planning software
• Experience working with MRP/ERP systems
• Advanced MS Office skills – Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, etc.
• Exhibit Company Core Values of being Customer Focused, Innovative, Action Oriented, Proactive, and Passionate
• Strong attention to detail with proven examples of follow through and effective communication
• Ability to work across the entire supply chain enterprise – externally with suppliers, customers, and internally with sales, marketing, purchasing and operations.
• Ability and desire to learn new skills and apply them quickly
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Well organized with the ability to flex daily routines and handle multiple and competing priorities to meet deadlines
• Motivated self-starter with a strong work ethic, a positive attitude
• Able to build and maintain rapport and take on cross-functional assignments as required

***This is a salaried exempt, hybrid position ($62,353.20 - $65,000.00 annually) located in Wellsville, NY***

Equal Opportunity Employer
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