Product Manager III

Aston Carter; Washington; On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aston Carter is seeking an experienced Demand Planning Manager to oversee end-to-end forecasting and promotional impact analyses for retail channels.

You will own forecasting cycles, drive data-driven decisions, and partner with channel leaders to optimize revenue and product lifecycle planning. The role requires strong Excel modeling and cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting and program management.
• Experience with demand planning and forecasting promotional impacts.
• Strong background in B2C or traditional retail.
• Advanced Excel skills for complex models and scenario analysis.
• Ability to connect forecasting to commercial outcomes.
• Solid program management with deadlines and schedules.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage forecast inputs to build forward-looking forecasts from trends and channel adjustments.
• Create promotional forecasts with scenario models for evaluating strategies.
• Lead analyses on product performance, including YOY comparisons and mix shifts.
• Provide day-to-day and week-to-week forecasting and sales reporting support to channel owners.
• Develop and execute net-short analyses and manage inventory during end-of-sale planning.
• Maintain forecasting systems for data accuracy and reliability across channels.
• Create and manage workback schedules for forecasting cycles.
• Meet with channel owners to review baselines and document assumptions.
• Lead forecast inspection meetings to discuss variances and required actions.
• Standardize forecasting methodologies across marketplaces.
• Own forecast narrative and final documentation, bridging cycles and explaining variances.
• Lead Global Retail Demand Reviews with cross-functional partners.
• Act as strategic advisor and modeling expert for promotional approaches.

Skills

Demand planning

Forecasting

Program management

Excel modeling

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Retail forecasting

Revenue planning

Scenario analysis

Channel liaison

Education

Four-year college degree

Tools

Excel

Forecasting systems

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

This role combines advanced demand planning and product-level business forecasting with strategic program management to drive revenue-maximizing decisions across retail channels. You will own the end-to-end forecasting process, advise channel leaders on promotional strategies, and lead cross-functional reviews that shape business performance in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage all forecast inputs, including sales curves, baselines, and promotional lifts, to build forward-looking forecasts based on historical trends and channel-specific adjustments.
• Create comprehensive promotional forecasts, including scenario models that help channel owners evaluate and compare different promotional strategies and make informed strategic decisions.
• Oversee and conduct deep-dive analyses on product performance, including year-over-year comparisons, attainment tracking, and mix shifts, to identify opportunities and risks.
• Provide day-to-day and week-to-week forecasting and sales reporting support to retail sales channel owners, ensuring they have timely, accurate data to guide decisions.
• Develop and execute net-short analyses and manage inventory allocation during end-of-sale planning to limit overhang risk and support healthy product lifecycle management.
• Manage and update all forecasting systems to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability across channels and marketplaces.
• Create and manage detailed workback schedules for each forecasting cycle, holding channel owners accountable for delivering inputs and meeting deadlines.
• Meet regularly with channel owners to review baselines, gather feedback, incorporate changes, and document assumptions for bridging and assumption-tracking purposes.
• Lead recurring forecast inspection meetings with channel owners to review performance against forecast, discuss variances, and align on required corrective or optimizing actions.
• Standardize assumptions and forecasting methodologies across marketplaces, influencing channel owners to adopt consistent processes across emerging and established businesses.
• Own the forecast narrative and final documentation, clearly bridging changes between forecast cycles and explaining variances in a way that is accessible to business stakeholders.
• Lead Global Retail Demand Reviews, presenting insights, recommendations, and forecast outcomes to cross-functional partners.
• Act as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on modeling expert, helping channel leaders design and evaluate different promotional approaches and their impact on units and revenue.
• Use historical data to build future forecasts at daily, product-level specificity, ensuring granular visibility and robust business context for channel and product decisions.

Essential Skills

• 5–7 years of relevant experience working with complex product portfolios, with a minimum of 5 years in roles focused on demand planning, forecasting, and program management.
• Proven expertise in demand planning and forecasting promotional impacts, including calculating lifts and understanding price elasticities.
• Strong background in B2C, finance, or traditional retail industries, with the ability to connect forecasting and planning directly to commercial and strategic outcomes.
• Advanced Excel skills, including comfort with complex models, scenario analysis, and detailed data manipulation to support forecasting and performance analysis.
• Ability to build and interpret unit and revenue-maximizing forecasts, partnering closely with sales channel leads to grow the business strategically through a focused set of products.
• Demonstrated experience in business-focused forecasting roles that prioritize revenue growth and promotional strategy rather than solely inventory optimization or allocation.
• Strong analytical and data analysis skills, with the ability to work at daily, product-level specificity and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Solid program management capabilities, including managing forecasting cycles, workback schedules, stakeholder inputs, and strict deadlines.
• High level of motivation and self-direction, with a track record of driving initiatives forward without close supervision.
• Relevant forecasting and demand planning experience in environments that require close collaboration with sales and channel owners.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Four-year college degree is preferred but not required.
• Experience in B2C, finance, and traditional retail industries is highly desirable.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple forecasting cycles a