Demand Planning Specialist

Job Description

The Demand Planner is responsible for analyzing historical sales data, identifying trends, and forecasting future demand to support the effectiveness of the overall operation & planning processes. This role will work closely with cross-functional teams and use the insights gained from data analysis to make informed decisions, optimize inventory levels, and ensure the efficient and cost-effective fulfillment of customer orders across all the Highlands Coffee store networks.

Data Management and Analysis (40%)

• Analyze historical sales data, market trends, seasonality and customer behavior, cleansing outliers to identify underlying patterns and key drivers of demand.
• Generate baseline forecast by products by stores for Highland system wide.
• Manage and organize large sets of data, extract, manipulate, and analyze data from various sources to derive meaningful insights & create comprehensive demand plans.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams such as Store Operations, Marketing, Finance and Product teams to gather relevant information to derive meaningful insights.
• Ensure data integrity and quality to support informed decision-making.

Demand Forecasting & Planning (40%)

• Propose and maintain statistical models and forecasting algorithms to predict future demand.
• Utilize forecasting techniques and demand planning methodologies to generate accurate and reliable demand forecasts.
• Conduct root cause analysis to identify and address issues impacting demand planning & forecasting, propose solutions, and implement corrective actions.
• Continuously monitor and adjust demand plans to respond to changing customer preferences, market conditions, and business priorities.
• Integrate all forecast building blocks (baseline, promotion, seasonality, market trend…) to create a concrete S&OP number with full documents captured activities, assumptions, and changes.
• Regularly engage & leverage the insights gained from the Store Operations team to understand the unique characteristics, nuances of individual stores & their customer bases, refine demand forecasting models and improve the accuracy of demand plans.
• Utilize demand planning software tools to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the forecasting process.

Reporting (20%)

• Prepares monthly/ required clear, concise, and actionable demand planning reports for relevant stakeholders.
• Assist in integrating and standardizing the S&OP Process.

Job Requirement

Education/ Training Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Management Information System, Business Analytics, or a related field.

Work Experience

• 03+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain analytics, preferably in the retail or food service industry.
• Proficiency in using demand planning software and data analysis tools (e.g. Excel, SQL, Power BI, forecasting applications)

Knowledge of

• Proficiency in data analysis, statistical modeling, forecasting techniques and demand planning methodologies.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of the coffee industry is preferred.

Skills (Ability to):

• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving skills
• Organized, high attention to detail and a high level of accuracy in work.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Mindset of continuous learning and improvement to enhance skills and stay updated in demand planing field.
• High adaptability and flexibility to handle uncertainties and changes in the business environment.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Fluent in English communication is a plus.

Other special requirements (if any):

• Ability to work under pressure at times, with an enthusiastic attitude.