We are looking for a Market Demand Planner, who would like to be part of our international team.

The Market Demand Planner role is a central and strategical position with cross-functional nature.

This purpose of this role is to be the corner stone of better serving our customers and bridge between sales and supply chain. The Market Demand Planner is responsible for an effective market demand plan and to coordinate this plan across the organisation.

Market Demand Planner is responsible for the supply chain management process in order to provide forecast to ensure the right level on time in full customer service. The Demand Planner’s primary role is to develop an accurate demand forecast at multiple levels of aggregation over multiple time horizons, using market and sales insight to improve the forecast accuracy.

Market Demand Planner is responsible for surface and solve problems and continually re-optimize plans as circumstances change.

People & Collaboration

• The role is a crossfunctional position with strong collaboration with sales, PDM (new product introduction), Customer Service, Category Supply Planners as well as customers / other external communication.
• Aim to be in contact with PDMs, Customer Service and Category Supply Planners, and with category Product Development to understand the demand for forecasting drivers. Also, almost daily contact with Category Demand Planners to reflect the forecast on category level in line with the category guidance.
• Understand and formulate the market needs in demand planning numbers to enable the right demand plan for supply planning in order to best serve the market

Market Demand Planner tasks

• The Market Demand Planner is “hands-on” and drives the creation of a statistical demand forecast, a baseline forecast and collaborate with other functional teams to develop a consensus forecast. responsible for aligning 18 months forecast. The demand planner supports all the demand side elements of the Integrated business planning (IBP/S&OP) processes.
• Follow IBP process and lead Local Demand Review Meeting with General Manager, Sales etc.
• Ensure unconstrained and constrained demand visibility, balance mid-term (4-18 months) supply and demand during IBP cycle.
• Execute planning of New Product Initiatives and phase-out of products considering market requirements and approved commercial strategies.
• Managing the market demand plans over the planning horizon to identify trends, event scenarios (e.g. promotions), issues and corrective actions, through demand analysis, demand scenarios, reconciliation with financials and commercial collaboration.
• Ensure the business plan to be delivered on a category level– both in volume and value – and in case of deviations outline necessary adjustments to the business plan.
• Develop an accurate demand forecast by collaborating with cross-functional teams to review historical data, evaluate promotional activities, and understand market trends.
• Continuously improve the forecast accuracy and reduce bias by conducting root causes of forecast errors and by challenging the demand input provided by the sales.
• Create market demand analysis and insight and recommend actions.
• Historical sales performance is analyzed, assessing the impact of various sales and marketing plans such as new product introductions; price increases or decreases; product withdrawal or obsolescence, promotions and incentives with the demand plan modified accordingly.
• Understand the market demand drivers and follow the new business opportunities, helping to translate to real demand plan.
• Support the market with risk assessments and mitigation activities.
• Propose and implement solutions to improve demand forecast accuracy.
• Conduct monthly forecast maintenance.
• Address demand-related issues in a timely and effective manner.
• Review sales plans, finance budget updates or latest estimates and demand drivers.
• Follow actuals and reflect changes in forecast accordingly.
• Have regular connect with sales and cover short and mid term forecast changes, having special attention on promotions
• Highlight demand outliers for sales and drive the discussion to come to a realistic short and mid term forecast
• Identify gap closing activities in close collaboration with the Sales
• Realize opportunities for generation of additional sales in close collaboration with the Integrated Business Planning manager & Category Supply Planners
• Decide on allocation of capacities to Customers/SKUs in a supply constrained situation (short-term)
• Define and implement accuracy improvements through rigorous monthly KPI reviews at category/ sku/customer level.

Processes & Systems

• Manage and improve forecasting software.
• Drive projects and optimisations in RapidResponse to support the forecasting and IBP process.
• Check on a regular basis the opportunities in CAT system also in RapidResponse to make sure data are reflected properly.
• Cleanse historic demand actuals from extraordinary incidents (peaks or slumps) to create a robust basis for statistical forecasting
• Maintain MDP (Market Demand Planner) planning details (MTS, MTO, demand time fence) in RapidResponse
• Make sure master data is appropriate for demand planning KPIs and for forecasting purposes in RapidResponse, highlight issues and coordinate the solution.
• Maintain statistical forecast prerequisites on regular base and weekly promo details
• Check Sales input data in RapidResponse and validate/overwrite if needed
• Collaborate with Category Supply Planning on weekly level to understand production details and product availability. Participate in the weekly Supply & Demand Synchronization meeting and forward the key message to KAM, GM on the local reviews.
• Execute local market portfolio analysis and follow guidance of PDM and Category Demand Planner
• Provide SCH reason code for CSL analysis

• Bachelor's degree in SC/Logistics, Engineering, Economics, or related field
• 2+ years in demand planning/forecasting
• Broad supply chain knowledge: planning, sales, product, marketing
• Data-driven with strategic insight capability
• Strong communicator up to GM level
• Experienced in cross-functional teamwork
• Skilled in negotiation, influence, and analytics
• Results-oriented and customer-focused
• Agile planner with professional English fluency
• Advanced IT proficiency (Navision, SAP, Excel, Kinaxis, Power BI