Analyst - Demand Planner

Demand Planner creates and maintains accurate item/location level forecasts for a group of product categories Incorporating business intelligence, historical performance, and insights gathered from merchants, suppliers, marketing, planning & replenishment, and other sources into the demand forecast Demand Planner is responsible for achieving desired KPIs - forecast accuracy and bias metrics, supporting sales and profit goals while achieving inventory productivity and in-stock goals Core Responsibilities: Responsible for maintaining the highest degree of forecast at item and stores level based on industry trends and demand patterns. Conduct forecast review and analysis to assess demand trends, measure forecast accuracy and recommend data-driven adjustments. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support product lifecycle milestones, ensuring accurate demand planning for new items. Propose and implement forecasting improvements to enhance demand accuracy and efficiency. Partner with SSCM (US stakeholders) to review KPIs, gather market insights, and translating market insights into actionable forecast adjustments Oversee reset execution, ensuring product availability aligns with merchandising strategies and store needs. Provide weekly performance recaps, including ASE performance reviews, root cause analysis, and action plans aligned with business operations. Monitor and ensure KPI metrics consistently meet business goals. Update promotion forecasts in systems for planned events. Track and report on significant changes in sales forecasts, budgets, and business strategies to drive informed decision-making. Manage new store forecast adjustments, ensuring optimal inventory allocation for store openings and early sales phases. Address demand-related issues promptly and effectively to minimize disruptions. Attend Monthly forecast review meetings to align forecasts with business objectives and market trends. Participate in business meetings, translating market insights into actionable forecast adjustments. Build strong partnerships with SSCM Demand Planners and Inventory Replenishment teams (SSCM & SSCB) to drive seamless operations. Identify areas of opportunities and drive collaborative projects Years of Experience: Overall 2+ years of Experience 2 years of experience in Supply chain Management or Inventory Management 2+ years experience demand planning 1+ years experience reporting and data analytics Required Minimum Qualifications : Bachelor s Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Research or Related Field MBA or master s degree in Supply Chain or operations management Skill Set Required: Primary Skills (must have) Experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain management. Ability to analyze data and identify trends, seasonality, outliers. Strong attention to detail to ensure accuracy in data analysis and reporting. Moderate proficiency in forecasting tools and inventory management systems Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with merchandising, supply chain, and operations teams. Experienced in any of the planning tools such as SAP APO, o9, JDA, Oracle Demantra etc. Excellent writing and communication skills, support in developing analytical documents for presentation to management Excellent problem-solving and time management skills Secondary Skills (desired) Experience in Data mining and visualization tool such as Power BI, SQL, MS Access and Excel Experience with JDA Fulfillment and Allocation Experience of retail industry