Demand Planner
Job Description
Job Title: Demand Planner Job Status/Grade: 2
Location: Norton Shores, MI Department: Supply Chain
Reporting to: Materials Manager Direct Reports: None
BRIEF SUMMARY OF ROLE
Reporting to the Materials Manager, the role of Demand Planner is responsible for managing the inventory demand planning for Essentra Industrial Supply. Primary focus is on the analysis & review of demand in order to establish appropriate inventory levels and ensure continued supply to the customer base.
MAIN FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Undertake the regular analysis and review of inventory planning parameters for the business; including the management of ’ABC’ codes for all SKUs
- Maintain focus on driving value and improvements into the demand plan such as to directly support the Company’s objectives for stock availability & on-time dispatch (OTIF %)
- In cooperation with colleagues at each location manage local stock holding to best meet the overall Company’s service, inventory & working capital objectives
- Operate closely with Product Management & Procurement functions in the review of inbound supply constraints; agree and deliver against specific action plans accordingly
- Support new product introduction (NPI) to ensure appropriate initial inventory levels and a suitable framework for review during the early-growth phase. Alongside Product Management function seek to continually improve upon each NPI cycle to maximise revenue & customer service
- Build collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders within Sales & Commercial, Product Management, Purchasing, and Operations to drive accountability and functional alignment
- Improve methods of incorporating forecast and customer data into the demand plan to drive inventory optimisation without compromising key service & availability metrics
- Support the wider initiative of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) by aiming to integrate commercial & market intelligence into Supply Chain operations
- Proactively identify and implement functional improvements - process, system and data - in line with the Company’s strategic objectives
REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
- Proven track record in a similar role, ideally with experience of operating with a high-volume low margin product base
- Graduate, or similar professional experience, with an emphasis on purchasing, supply chain management, logistics management
- Experience of ERP systems (e.g. SO99, BPCS), along with being highly competent in MS Excel & Access
- Able to manipulate, analyse, and interpret large & varied data sets to support decision making
- Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with so as to communicate appropriately with all levels of the business
- First class time-management and organization skills to support working in a versatile & fast-paced role
- A willingness to be forward thinking and accept any changes necessary for the progress of the department or Company