Senior Manager, Demand Planning Process Excellence

Becton Dickinson; Franklin Lakes (NJ); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

BD in New Jersey seeks a Senior Manager, Demand Planning to lead zero-touch AI forecasting rollout across business units. You will shape the operating model, partner with data science, IT, and commercial teams, and drive automation in IBP processes.

You will build playbooks, set KPIs such as forecast accuracy and automation rate, and coach planners to advance AI-enabled decision making. This role requires travel and a track record of driving transformation in complex manufacturing or medtech

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Data Science, Statistics, or related field.
• 8 years of experience in demand planning, S&OP/IBP, or advanced forecasting in MedTech/manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience implementing or scaling AI/ML-based demand forecasting solutions (not just statistical forecasting).
• Travel domestically and internationally 25%.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end zero-touch AI forecasting implementation across BUs, including model selection and deployment.
• Define target operating model, governance, and performance monitoring for AI forecasting.
• Standardize demand planning processes, playbooks, and best practices across BUs.
• Drive change management, training, and adoption of AI-augmented forecasting.

Skills

Kinaxis RapidResponse

SAP IBP

AI/ML tooling

Stakeholder management

Change leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Data Science, Statistics, or related field

Tools

AI/ML modeling tools

Job description

We are the people who give possibilities purpose

BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world. Advancing the world of health™ is our Purpose, and it's no small feat. It takes the imagination and passion of all of us-from design and engineering to the manufacturing and marketing of our billions of MedTech products per year-to look at the impossible and find transformative solutions that turn dreams into possibilities.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Demand Planning will lead the design, pilot, and enterprise-wide adoption of zero-touch AI demand forecasting capabilities across all Business Units. This role is central to BD's Integrated Business Planning (IBP) transformation, with a primary mandate to institutionalize industry-leading demand planning best practices, drive high levels of forecast automation, and enable scalable, exception-based demand management that improves forecast accuracy, reduces bias, and strengthens supply chain performance (OTIF, inventory, and service).

You will operate as a cross-BU change agent and process owner, partnering closely with Demand Planning teams, Data Science / AI teams, IT, Commercial, and IBP leadership to move BD from traditional statistical + judgmental forecasting to a predominantly zero-touch AI-driven model.

Key Responsibilities

• Zero-Touch AI Forecasting Implementation

  Lead the end-to-end implementation of zero-touch AI demand forecasting solutions (model selection, feature engineering, training, validation, production deployment, and monitoring).

  Define and drive the target operating model for zero-touch forecasting, including automation thresholds, exception management frameworks, and human-in-the-loop governance.

  Partner with Data Science and IT to industrialize AI models, establish model performance monitoring (accuracy, bias, drift), and ensure continuous improvement loops.

  Pilot, scale, and operationalize AI demand sensing and forecasting capabilities across multiple BUs and product portfolios.

• Best Practice Standardization & Process Excellence

  Design, document, and embed demand planning best practices, playbooks, and standard work across all BUs.

  Establish and govern demand planning process standards (hierarchy, segmentation, forecast consumption, consensus process, and IBP integration).

  Drive process harmonization while allowing controlled flexibility for BU-specific requirements.

  Build and maintain a center-of-excellence mindset for demand planning excellence.

• Change Management, Capability Building & Adoption

  Lead change management and adoption programs for zero-touch AI forecasting, including stakeholder alignment, training and communication plans.

  Coach and upskill BU Demand Planners and managers on AI-augmented forecasting, exception management, and advanced analytics.

  Measure and report adoption metrics (automation rate, exception volume, planner productivity, forecast accuracy uplift).

• Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

  Define and track leading and lagging KPIs for demand planning performance (forecast accuracy by segment, bias, MAPE/WMAPE, automation %, planner touch time, etc.).

  Identify root causes of forecast error and drive systemic improvements in data quality, model performance, and process discipline.

  Support IBP Council and leadership with insights, risk assessments, and recommendations related to demand planning maturity.

• Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

  Serve as a key partner to the IBP organization, Commercial, Supply Planning, Finance, and BU leadership.

  Facilitate cross-BU knowledge sharing and replication of successful practices.

  Influence senior stakeholders without direct authority and navigate complex matrix environments.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Data Science, Statistics, or related field
• 8 years of progressive experience in demand planning, S&OP/IBP, or advanced forecasting within complex manufacturing or MedTech environments.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience implementing or scaling AI/ML-based demand forecasting solutions (not just statistical forecasting).
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally 25%

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong working knowledge of modern planning platforms (Kinaxis RapidResponse, SAP IBP, o9, or equivalent) and advanced analytics/AI tooling.
• Proven track record of process standardization, digital transformation, and cross-business unit change leadership.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills in a matrix organization.
• Ability to translate technical AI concepts into clear business value and practical operating models for demand planners.
• Prior ownership of forecast accuracy improvement programs with measurable results, preferred
• Familiarity with demand sensing, causal forecasting, and hierarchical forecasting techniques, preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in MedTech, medical devices, or highly regu