Sr. Demand Planner

Ferrara; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

Ferrara, a leading company in the food and beverage industry, is seeking a Sr. Demand Planner to drive demand forecasts that impact the entire organization. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to analyze sales trends and develop strategic plans, ensuring alignment with business goals.

Benefits

Comprehensive employee benefits

Paid time off (PTO)

Annual bonus based on company performance

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience in Demand Planning or data analytics.
• Strong working knowledge of sales and operations planning.
• Experience within the food & beverage or FMCG industry preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain 36-month demand forecasts.
• Track and improve forecast KPIs such as accuracy and bias.
• Lead monthly Sales & Operations Planning meetings.

Skills

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Strong analytical skills

Excellent communication skills

Strong knowledge of SAP IBP

Problem-solving skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

SAP IBP

Tableau

Power BI

Job description

Join to apply for the Sr. Demand Planner role at Ferrara

Join to apply for the Sr. Demand Planner role at Ferrara

Work Location: Chicago

Work Location: Chicago

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

As a Senior Planner, Demand Planning, you will be the key decision-maker for demand planning in our customer forecast plan. This individual contributor role is crucial to driving accurate, strategic demand forecasts that impact the entire organization. You'll work closely with Sales, Marketing, Supply Planning, and other cross-functional teams to develop and maintain demand plans that support the overall business goals.

Ways you will make a difference

• Develop, maintain, and refine 36-month demand forecasts, complementing the Sales team's 18-month forecast.
• Review statistical forecast outputs and incorporate insights from sales and market intelligence to ensure accuracy.
• Analyze historical sales trends, demand drivers, and use statistical models to inform forecasts.
• Understand and incorporate foundational building blocks of demand forecasts, such as store facings, store count, and product sales rates, to ensure forecasts align with market size and realities.
• Validate demand forecasts by leveraging calculations using metrics such as sell-through rates, distribution coverage, and market penetration.
• Collaborate with Sales to gather essential inputs, including promotional plans, customer forecasts, and new product introductions, ensuring these are accurately reflected in the demand plan.
• Integrate external market intelligence, such as competitor activities, economic indicators, and category trends, to fine-tune forecasts.
• Analyze and interpret a wide range of data sources, including historical sales, customer behavior, and market conditions, to improve the reliability of demand forecasts.
• Track and improve forecast KPIs such as accuracy, bias, forecast value add, and fill rate.
• Lead and facilitate monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) meetings, ensuring a collaborative planning approach with internal teams.
• Coordinate with Sales, Marketing, and Finance to reconcile variances and ensure alignment of demand forecasts.
• Provide input to Supply Planning on inventory strategies for existing products, new launches, and product phase-outs.
• Confront and challenge forecast assumptions by identifying inaccuracies, using data-backed arguments to validate corrections.
• Actively question the “why” behind forecast inputs, ensuring assumptions are rigorously examined and supported by relevant data.
  
  

Skills that will make you successful

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (vlookups, pivot tables) and PowerPoint.
• Strong working knowledge of SAP IBP, SAP APO, Tableau, Power BI, Power Query, BOBJ, and Circana/IRI data.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to handle large datasets and derive actionable insights.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for effective collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and a high tolerance for ambiguity.
  
  

Experiences that will support your success

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in Demand Planning or data analytics.
• Knowledge of the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes.
• Experience working within the food & beverage or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry is preferred.
  
  

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Candy-2025-OE-QR

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $80,325 to $112,455 annually.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Management and Manufacturing

• Industries

  Manufacturing

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