Remote Distribution Demand Planner

Summary

Join our support team as a Distribution Demand Planner to manage the Distribution Requirements Plan and secure timely availability of finished goods. The role involves collaboration, analysis, and communication across multiple departments.

Requirements

• 3 - 5 years experience in Demand or Supply Planning for a medium to large sized business (>100 doors)
• Demonstrated proficiency in statistics, forecasting and forecasting methods
• Advanced skills in MS Excel including pivots, macros and charts
• Able to interpret KPI and metrics data and convey results to a broad audience in clear and concise terms
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with all departments and levels of the organization
• Proven success record in training and development of others and building strong teams
• Accustomed to working in a highly seasonal, high pressure environment
• Ability to prioritize tasks and balance the immediate and long term needs of the business

Responsibilities

• Effectively manage weekly planning cycle to build appropriate Distribution Requirements Plans (DRP) across multiple product categories
• Identify supply exceptions and work cross functionally with the Master Production Scheduler to resolve. Communicate constraints to Retail Demand and Inventory Planners
• Collaborate with Master Production Scheduler to reconcile production schedule vs. Distribution Requirements Plan and make supply chain optimization recommendations such as expediting, postponement, consolidation or supply reduction
• Provide input to the Master Production Schedulers in developing inventory strategies on existing items, new products, and product phase-outs
• Review transfer opportunities between distribution centers for seasonal or limited-edition products
• Generate and maintain distribution Safety Stocks that limit stock outs while ensuring product freshness
• Manage fulfillment of products with constrained supply based on replenishment metrics
• Track OTIF performance, analyzing root cause of issues and recommending improvements
• Partner with the Retail Demand Planners and Inventory Planners to improve customer service levels on OTIF and other KPIs
• Work with Master Production Scheduler, Distribution and other stakeholders to improve peak season capacity constraints by optimizing physical inventory flow
• Partner with the cross functional business team to ensure a successful Sales and Operations Planning process that balances supply and demand
• Provide analysis and scenario plans to support demand and supply consensus process, and articulate recommendations to supply chain team highlighting service, inventory and logistics cost impact or trade-offs
• Support and encourage the adoption of Supply and Operations Planning best practices
• Generating reports and preparing summaries for Management and other teams
• Facilitate the documentation of supply chain planning processes and workflows through Process Documents and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
• Develop new KPIs where necessary to drive performance improvement

Preferred Qualifications

• A university or college degree
• Experience with Inventory Planning software such as Arkieva
• Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as Microsoft Dynamics AX
• Previous experience in the food or cosmetics industry considered
• Able to travel domestically and internationally