Forecast Demand & Inventory Planner

Our client is currently seeking a Forecast Demand & Inventory Planner.

Primary Function

The Forecast Demand & Inventory Planner is responsible for the continuous analysis and evaluation of required supplier product replenishments needed to achieve optimal customer service & inventory levels. This will be achieved by generating a reliable demand forecast that includes historical trending, customer forecasts, new item launch plans, and promotional sales planning. This individual will provide Executive level business projections as well as operational schedules and analysis.

Responsibilities Include

- On a regular business cycle, create a demand forecast by developing and utilizing a forecasting model that represents customer and channel forecast by sku item. Inputs to forecasting include customer forecasts, new item launch introductions, discontinuations, and POS Store Sales data.
o Collaborate with the Marketing team on Promotional calendar and expected sales lift for item specific sales events. Ensure expected incremental demand is included in forecasting.
o Lead on Monthly Customer Collaboration meetings with key National Accounts, Independent Distributors, and Direct Customers. Gain alignment on client specific demand plans to then monitor and measure against actual sales. Consolidate customer forecasts to then hold Sales Forecast review with Sales Team.
o Collaborate with Financial Analyst to determine how POS Sales data can be leading indicator to customer specific item trending. Utilize insight into customer collaboration reviews and then make judgment decision on how to consider in item specific forecasts.
o Maintain scorecard measuring forecast accuracy & forecast bias. Determine areas of biggest discrepancy and take actions to improve forecast accuracy.

- From the demand forecast, generate Supplier Replenishment schedule that achieves optimal customer service levels and inventory utilization. Anticipate capacity constraints and other supply interruptions to leverage safety stock as working assets to protect sales growth and service.
o Create Supplier specific replenishment plans and collaborate with Supplier & Transportation Coordinator to confirm Suppliers commitment to PO Delivery dates.
o Understand the optimal conditions for contract manufacturing & delivery of product to WBP Distribution Centers. Utilize information such as production batch group, contract manufacturer production scheduling policies, pallet configurations, etc. to generate Vendor Schedules that optimize efficiencies in Production and Transportation.

- During the planning cycle, assess the product Expiry risk of inventory on-hand. Provide escalation to Sales and Marketing with intent of increasing demand to avoid Short-date situation with inventory. Determine the quantity of inventory becoming unavailable due to Short-date and include in Supplier Replenishment planning.
o Working with Shelf Life Cycle products avoiding risk of expiry; identify excess and obsolete risk; report risk to internal stakeholders for actions that avoid inventory dispositions
o Examines material variances, resolves problems where possible, and/or communicates more difficult problems to management. Assists in setting up new inventory systems or modifying existing systems, when necessary.

- Lead in the coordination of internal operational projects that result in product specification changes for production. Facilitate the joint effort of key individuals in separate business departments (Marketing, Product Development, Finance, Supply Chain) that will come together to meet expected time lines for launching new products. Utilize project planning capabilities to provide risks & offsets to meeting deadline for key deliverables and impact to dependent tasks.
o Map out the execution of our full to go market strategy and include critical hand-over points as well as connection of links to key back office and operational activities.
o Develop foresight planning of delays in upstream activity to anticipate impact on final availability of new products.

- Prepare accurate, legible, and timely reports as requested by Executive team, recognizing that this activity is an integral part of achieving our growth goals. The reports will be analysis and business modeling that strategic decisions will be made from. Sound business decisions need to be based on factual data so the quality of the reports and analysis is critical.

About Aerotek:

Our people are everything. As a Best of Staffing® Client and Talent leader, Aerotek® Inc. has distinguished itself as a leader in recruiting and staffing services, by having a deep understanding of the intersection of talent and business. As a strategic partner to more than 17,000 clients and 300,000 contract employees every year, Aerotek's people-focused approach yields competitive advantages for its clients and rewarding careers for its contract employees. Headquartered in Hanover, Md., Aerotek operates a network of over 230 non-franchised offices with more than 6,000 internal employees dedicated to serving our customers. Aerotek is an operating company of Allegis Group, a global talent solutions provider. To learn more, visit .

Aerotek is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.