Demand/Forecast Planner

The SIOP planning function is an excellent way to broaden your experience, skills and network of colleagues, while leveraging knowledge on large data sets to compute demand and supply plans to meet customer demand and maintain inventory targets. Partner with NPI/ Engineering/ Marketing teams to understand product lifecycle/ buffer strategy, develop robust plans to enable new product launch and product end of life (EOL) planning.

Job Title: Demand/Forecast Planner 3
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Duration: 12 months

Description:
We are looking for team members with very strong analytical skill sets, manufacturing/supply chain experience, to participate and lead in the SIOP planning process. The SIOP planning function is an excellent way to broaden your experience, skills and network of colleagues, while leveraging knowledge on large data sets to compute demand and supply plans to meet customer demand and maintain inventory targets. We measure this through various metrics such as Forecast accuracy, Inventory health, Sales Plan v Actuals, Build Plan vs Actuals, First Pass Fill Rates etc.

Key Responsibilities include (not limited to):
Lead/participate in cross-functional team meetings/ SIOP process to develop best in class demand plan and optimum supply plan
Facilitate and drive collaboration with Marketing, Sales Operations, Finance team members to develop monthly/quarterly forecasts over mid-term and long-term.
Partner with NPI/ Engineering/ Marketing teams to understand product lifecycle/ buffer strategy, develop robust plans to enable new product launch and product end of life (EOL) planning.
Review and make improvements to statistical forecasting models, to drive best- in-class demand forecast accuracy
Analyze data output, historical shipments/ consumption for any modifications required based on product segmentation.
Understand/ manage safety stock/ inventory targets for various regions/ plants
Partner with manufacturing, planning, regulatory and facilities teams to understand and drive buffer strategies to enable building moves and plan for regulatory restrictions.
Understanding of Capacity Models (lines/shifts, line efficiencies, head count and material lead times/constraints)
Develop capacity and material constrained build plan through cross functional collaboration with various partners (Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain)
Scenario planning for different Demand and Supply scenarios, understand & articulate the different options and impact
Represent their product families and present relevant data/ charts in the cross-functional SIOP meetings
Load plan to enable Manufacturing and Supply Chain execution
Monitor performance to plan, e.g. forecast versus actuals, and drive corrective actions/ mitigation plans
Support other planning activities such as Long-Range Forecast Creation, Excess & Obsolete reduction etc.
Drive improvements to Key Performance Indicators such as Forecast accuracy, on time in full (OTIF), Backorder, Finished Goods Inventory Attainment through root-cause analysis and cross-functional collaboration
Subject matter experience to participate and lead projects to improve operational efficiency & profitability goals
Troubleshoot and help resolve MPS/MRP issues for demand propagation; Participate in key projects, testing and go-live.
Travel: 10 - 25% Domestic/ International.
Work Location: Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Qualifications

Core Competencies
Analytical Rigor: Data-driven, model-savvy, and meticulous about assumptions and governance.
Decision Quality: Balances service, cost, and risk; proposes clear scenarios and trade-offs.
Execution Excellence: Delivers on commitments; strong follow-through on corrective actions.
Collaboration & Influence: Brings teams together; aligns priorities across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and QA/RA.
Adaptability & Resilience: Thrives amid evolving demand signals, supply constraints, and regulatory requirements.
Continuous Improvement: Standardizes processes, reduces variability, and improves signal fidelity.

Desired Education / Skillsets/ Qualifications
MS/MBA with minimum 6 yrs relevant experience; Degree in Engineering, Math/Finance, Operations Research, Supply Chain highly preferred.
BS with minimum 8 yrs relevant experience; Degree in Supply Chain, Operations Research, Finance, IE, Engineering highly preferred.
Analytical rigor / Data/ problem solving skills
Supply Chain/ Planning Domain experience
Product Life-cycle Management (New product introduction, End of Sale)
Expert in MS Office applications Excel and .ppt
Familiarity and/or ability to work with Advanced Planning applications Like IBP, Oracle, O9 etc. and SAP ERP to create scalable processes
Leadership, communication and executive presentation skills to share insights/ gain consensus