Demand Planner

SUMMARY 

The Demand Planner owns the day-to-day demand planning process and is accountable for developing, maintaining, and improving accurate demand forecasts that support production and operations planning, inventory optimization, customer fulfillment, and broader business objectives. This role leads cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Finance, and Supply Planning to build a consensus demand plan and surface risks and opportunities. 

This individual contributor role provides leadership through process ownership, cross-functional influence, and disciplined execution. The Demand Planner combines strong analytical skills with business acumen to improve forecast accuracy, guide planning decisions, and lead the demand portion of the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process. Success requires curiosity, collaboration, accountability, attention to detail, and the ability to translate data into clear, actionable insights.   

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.  Other duties may be assigned. 

•  Owns the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of statistical and collaborative demand forecasts across multiple planning horizons.  

• Analyzes business trends, market conditions, customer demand drivers, and relevant business intelligence to develop accurate forecasts and planning assumptions.  

• Leads the demand planning component of the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process to align forecast assumptions, risks, opportunities, and business expectations.  

• Manages the collection and integration of cross-functional demand inputs to ensure forecasts reflect business priorities, customer activity, and market conditions.  

• Owns the forecast rollup and publication process used to support operational, financial, and strategic planning activities.  

• Drives alignment among Supply Planning, Manufacturing, Procurement, Customer Success, Sales, and Finance to balance customer demand with operational capabilities and business objectives.  

• Monitors forecast performance and demand planning metrics, identifies risks and opportunities, and drives actions that improve forecast quality and planning effectiveness.  

• Owns demand planning activities associated with product launches, product transitions, and product discontinuations to support business readiness and forecast accuracy.  

• Represents the Demand Planning function on cross-functional projects and initiatives, supporting the successful implementation of business, process, and system changes.  

• Develops and maintains reporting, analytics, and planning tools that provide visibility to forecast performance, business trends, and planning assumptions.  

• Identifies, prioritizes, and drives continuous improvement initiatives that enhance forecasting effectiveness, planning efficiency, system capabilities, and cross-functional collaboration.  

• Provides demand planning expertise, analyses, and recommendations that support operational decision-making, strategic initiatives, and long-range planning activities.  

• Serves as the functional owner of demand planning systems and processes, ensuring system effectiveness, user adoption, data integrity, and alignment with business requirements.  

• Establishes, maintains, and improves demand planning procedures, work instructions, and process documentation to support consistency, compliance, and operational effectiveness. 

DIRECT REPORTS 

This position has no direct reports. 

QUALIFICATIONS  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Statistics, Finance, Economics, or related field. 

• 3-5 years of experience in Demand Planning, Supply Chain Planning, Forecasting, Inventory Planning, or related analytical roles. 

• Demonstrated knowledge of statistical forecasting techniques. 

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including data analysis, Power Query, Power Pivot, Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP, and INDEX/MATCH. 

• Experience using demand planning and ERP systems in a manufacturing environment. 

• Experience administering, configuring, or providing advanced functional support for demand planning or comparable business systems. 

Preferred 

• Experience with Demand Solutions and JD Edwards (JDE). 

• Experience participating in Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes. 

• Experience in food manufacturing, dairy, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or other process manufacturing industries. 

• Experience using Power BI, Tableau, or similar analytics platforms. 

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Problem Solver – Identifies root causes and recommends effective solutions.  

• Detail-oriented – Ensures accuracy and precision in work output.  

• Organized – Structures work and information in a logical, efficient manner.  

• Prioritizes Effectively – Identifies and focuses on the most critical responsibilities.  

• Collaborative – Partners with others to realize better results.  

• Balances Stakeholders – Understands, anticipates, and balances the needs of multiple stakeholders.  

• Customer Focused – Understands and responds effectively to stakeholder needs.  

• Information Seeker – Proactively gathers relevant information to inform decisions.  

• Adaptable – Adjusts easily to new or changing circumstances.  

• Results-driven – Focuses on achieving results that promote business success. 

CERTIFICATIONS 

• Certified Professional Forecaster (CPF), preferred.  

• APICS/ASCM Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), preferred.  

• APICS/ASCM Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), preferred. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

WORK LOCATION 

This role is expected to be onsite at Pleasant View office 1 day per week and may work remotely 4 days per week. Remote work must be performed within Wisconsin or another approved state in accordance with company policy. 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS 

Occasional Travel (up to 10%) – Limited travel for training, meetings, or visits to other Sartori manufacturing facilities. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear.  The Team Member is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The Team Member must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

This role is primarily performed in an office or administrative environment. The work environment is generally quiet to moderate in noise level.   

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by Team Members assigned to this work.  This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities.  Sartori Company reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational and business needs as necessary.