Demand Planner
Abacus Service Corporation
East Hanover, NJ
Apply
JOB DETAILS
LOCATION
East Hanover, NJ
POSTED
30+ days ago
Position Description- This is a key role in our Customer Demand Planning team and is crucial in supporting customer + location level forecasting, short term demand + horizon alignment, new item distribution and assortment forceasting, forecast reconcilation and cross functioal demand representation.
• Customer & Location Level Forecasting: support customer level Bottoms-Up demand forecasts for key customers (Food Service & E-comm), including regional and location-level oversight to ensure accuracy and alignment.
• Short Term Demand & Horizon Alignment: Manage near-term executional forecasts (0-13 Weeks) and support alignment to Lag 2 Month and Lag 5 Week forecasts across planning horizon
• New Item, Distribution & Assortment Forecasting: Maintain forecasts for new item launches, customer-specific distribution changes, resets, and assortment updates including timing and volume assumptions.
• Forecast Reconciliation & Performance Management: Lead reconciliation between Bottoms-Up and Brand / IBP forecasts, monitor sales vs forecast, investigate variances, and track forecast accuracy and bias.
• Cross Functional Demand Representation: Represent Customer Demand in S&OE and DMS forums, supporting demand insights, promotion & event forecasting, and root cause analysis tied to service and CFR impacts.
Position Requirements
Experience Level – Entry Level Manager (5+ Years or work-related equivalent)
• Must Haves:
o Demand & Forecasting Experience
APO System Functional knowledge preferred
o Strong analytical skills with advanced excel
Proven ability to analyze forecast accuracy, bias, and error trends
Ability to identify gaps between plan vs actuals and quantify Root causing
o Relationship & Influence
Must have comfort in influence without authority
• Analytical & Forecasting Expertise (Must Have)
o Experience in having owned customer-level shipment forecasts in Client, Foodservice or Omni Channel environment
o Strong understanding of demand drivers
o Proven ability to analyze forecast accuracy, bias, and error trends
o Ability to identify gaps between plan vs actuals and quantify Root causing
o Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, variance analysis)
o Preferred experience with APO planning system and Sales Force
• Root Cause & Insight Integration
o Ability to diagnose forecast variance across multiple dimensions
Customer behavior change, promotional execution gaps, supply / deployment constraints, timing, etc.
o Experience partnering with Sales to
Gather field intelligence
Translate qualitative inputs into fact based forecast adjustments
Continuously refine assumptions
o Comfortable documenting and communicating clear "what changed, why, so what” narratives
• Story Telling & Executive Presence
o Lead customer and cross functional demand discussions
o Influence without authority
o Connect insights to business outcomes (Service, revenue, inventory)
o Demonstrated ability to challenge inputs constructively
• Sales Partnership & Relationship Management
o Proven track record of building trust with sales team – thought partner
o Comfortable navigating tension
• Operating Style
o Highly organized, fast paced environment, strong ownership mindset, balances urgency in a high pressure, short term horizon
| Enable Skills-Based Hiring | No | ||
| Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PJ02 |
| No | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Onshore Only |
| Hours per Day | 8 |
|---|---|
| Hours per Week | 40 |
| Total Hours | 1,160.00 |
About the Company
A