Director, Demand Planning

Job Description

Job Description

General Summary

The Director, Demand Planning is responsible for leading global demand management strategies and inventory deployment for the company. This includes establishing inventory stocking policies to optimize service and inventory levels for specified product categories and lead sales and operations planning process. This position will manage a team of planners with responsibility for meeting all established goals for the company such as customer service and inventory levels as well as team development and coaching.

Primary / Key Essential Functions and Responsibilities

· Support Leadership in defining and establishing “best in class” demand planning processes and driving continuous improvement activities

· Utilize and improve current demand-planning systems and tools to create the best statistical forecast possible

· Drive accuracy analyses to maintain validity of forecast and assumptions

· Collaborate with sales, product management and finance teams to improve effectiveness of S&OP process to include metrics and scorecards

· Responsible for forecast accuracy, fill rates and inventory levels

· Key participant in the financial outlook process. Document and articulate key demand drivers and assumptions while highlighting areas of concern

· Ensure effective inventory policy is in place for each stocking location (domestic warehouses and factory locations)

· Analyze and update SKU level demand signal based on trends, modeling and business assumption changes

· Ensure and improve all planning parameters such as safety stock levels, lead times and factory capacities

· Monitor and root cause stock outs and customer backlogs to improve performance

· Ensure Business/Sales Team plans are supported through the Demand Forecast process

· Interface with suppliers to improve collaborative forecasting and ship on-time performance

· Obtain early warning data on potential inventory and shortage issues and monitor corrective actions as required

· Develop a sales forecast rollup by business from individual sku level forecasts to support discussions at the monthly meetings with Marketing, Sales and Finance. Provide insights on market and customer trends in order to complete a gap analysis

· Develop and lead demand planning team to include training, education and mentoring. Take responsibility for team development to increase their personal contributions to the company

· Planning the development of production schedules and inventory management. Identify bottlenecks and establishes a plan to eliminate excess goods. Escalate issues impacting forecast performance to senior management

· Foster strategic thinking professional business acumen and teamwork

· Other duties as assigned

Education and/or Experience and Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s Degree (B.A./ B.S.) in Business or Supply Chain Management. Master’s Degree (M.A./M.S.) preferred

Experience: 15+ years of demand planning and forecasting experience working with Asian suppliers

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

· Ability to lead key initiatives, set priorities and take ownership for results

· Experience in Supply Chain, Inventory Control, Forecasting (with large sku counts) and Purchasing

· Expert regarding demand planning, forecasting models and inventory strategies

· Excellent creative thinking skills with an emphasis on developing innovative solutions to complex problems

· Strong facilitation and collaboration skills with ability to operate effectively at all levels within the company

· Ability to effectively analyze large amounts of forecast data, identify issues, draw conclusions and generate solutions

· Ability to drive system changes that enhance the forecasting process, reporting and analysis

· Strong customer focus with an outstanding responsiveness to needs identified

· Proficiency in using Demand Works Smoothie or other demand planning software tools

· Superior computer skills in spreadsheet applications, dashboards, and report writing tools

· Excellent oral, written and presentation skills

· History of successful leadership roles managing effective teams

· Ability to solve complex problems through data analytics and best practices

· ERP (Microsoft Dynamics) experience preferred

· Passion for continuous improvement and team devolvement

Financial Responsibility

Develop and manage departmental budget

Management / Supervisory Authority

Direct reports

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee is exposed to outside weather conditions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential job functions either unaided or with assistance of a reasonable accommodation as determined on a case by case basis.

Standard Specifications

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and represents minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently.

A review of this description has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties and is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" employment relationship.

Twin Star Home is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting qualified individuals without regard to age, race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, physical or mental disability, citizenship, military status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any category protected by federal, state or local law.