Marketing Demand Planning Manager

Penn Foster Inc.; Mission (KS); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is on the lookout for a skilled Marketing Demand Planning Manager to enhance their consumer demand forecasts. This role is pivotal in aligning marketing strategies with financial planning and requires a deep understanding of data analytics and digital marketing metrics. Collaborating with various teams, you will drive insights that influence campaign strategies and consumer behavior. If you thrive in a fast-paced, data-rich environment and are passionate about education, this position offers the perfect opportunity to make a significant impact.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in demand planning or marketing analytics.
• Expertise in paid media forecasting and digital marketing metrics.
• Proficiency in Excel and data visualization tools.

Responsibilities

• Own daily demand forecasts and reporting for consumer acquisition.
• Lead annual demand forecasting and quarterly reforecasts.
• Analyze variances between forecast and actuals to identify key drivers.

Skills

Demand Planning

Forecasting

Digital Marketing Metrics

Paid Media Forecasting

Excel

Data Visualization Tools

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing or related field

Tools

Google Analytics

Adwords

TradeDesk

Nielsen Data

Tableau

SQL

Job description

Penn Foster Group is seeking an experienced and data-savvy Marketing Demand Planning Manager to lead the development, optimization, and communication of consumer demand forecasts that support Marketing acquisition efforts and financial planning. Reporting to the VP of Performance Marketing, this role collaborates closely with teams across Marketing, Analytics, Finance, Product, Web, and Engineering to ensure forecasts are aligned with the latest data, market conditions, and system performance.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working with large data sets, experienced in forecasting media spend impacts, seasonality, and category trends, and fluent in performance marketing language. You will connect business drivers and help the organization anticipate and respond to changes in consumer behavior, campaign strategies, and platform performance.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Forecasting & Process Ownership:

• Own daily demand forecasts and reporting, providing visibility into consumer acquisition trends and informing tactical adjustments.
• Lead annual demand forecasting and quarterly reforecasts, partnering with Finance for alignment with strategic goals and budgets.
• Build and maintain dynamic forecasting models across brands, channels, and payment types.
• Design and implement forecasting processes that are accurate, timely, transparent, and adaptable.

Paid Media & Strategic Alignment:

• Leverage understanding of paid media channels to forecast customer acquisition based on media investment and ROI.
• Incorporate category trends, seasonality, product releases, and marketing strategies to enhance forecast accuracy.
• Collaborate with Marketing leadership to integrate updates on spend, testing, and channel shifts.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work with Analytics to ensure forecasts reflect current trends and behavioral data.
• Partner with Product, Web, and Engineering teams to monitor and update forecasts based on system changes.
• Coordinate with Finance on budgeting and scenario planning.
• Lead discussions with Finance on pricing impacts.
• Align with Admissions and Product teams to support operational readiness and capacity planning.

Performance Monitoring & Communication:

• Analyze variances between forecast and actuals to identify key drivers.
• Provide insights and updates to senior leadership through regular presentations.
• Facilitate forecast review meetings to ensure transparency and responsiveness.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Required qualifications:

• 5+ years in demand planning, forecasting, or marketing analytics in a digital or consumer environment.
• Expertise in paid media forecasting and digital marketing metrics (e.g., CPL, ROAS, CTR, CVR) and platforms (Google Analytics, Adwords, TradeDesk, Nielsen Data).
• Strong understanding of seasonal patterns, media dynamics, and category trends.
• Proficiency in Excel and data visualization tools like Tableau; forecasting software experience preferred.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with technical and operational teams.
• Excellent communication skills, comfortable presenting to senior stakeholders.

Preferred Attributes:

• SQL experience is a plus.
• Experience in Education, EdTech, or subscription-based businesses is advantageous.
• Self-starter with ownership mindset, capable of managing multiple workstreams.
• Thrives in fast-paced, data-rich environments with evolving priorities.
• Passionate about education and helping learners succeed.