Ajinomoto Foods
Position Summary
The Demand Planning Manager develops statistical forecasts in Demantra for products, channels, and customers assigned, working with SBUs to create consensus demand plans incorporating factors like distribution changes, promotions, pricing, customer projections, trends, and historical data. These enable robust 18‑to 24‑month rolling forecasts to support business decisions.
Demand Planning serves as a strategic partner, driving growth and resilience through data‑driven insights, proactive planning, and cross‑functional collaboration. The goal is to provide actionable forecasts that balance supply chain efficiency, inventory, customer satisfaction, and business growth.
Position Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Demand Forecasting
Deliver best estimated unconstrained consensus 18‑to 24‑month rolling demand forecasts at SKU/customer level to enable business decisions.
Create, own and maintain statistical forecasts within Demantra for assigned products and customers. Track forecast performance, run simulations, review inputs, manage methods and flags, and raise concerns to resolve model issues as needed.
Apply demand planning best practices, implement exception‑based planning, and conduct analysis on forecast streams to improve accuracy with action plans.
Collaborate with SBUs to review assumptions, opportunities and risks. Validate change assumptions before adjusting baseline/statistical forecast (distribution changes, pricing, competitors, promotions, phase‑ins/phase‑outs, new introductions/discontinuations).
Use external data (customer forecast or Circanda data) to validate trends for demand sensing.
Communicate forecasting and demand planning policies and procedures to cross‑functional teams.
Quantify and report forecast accuracy at item/channel, item/customer and item/DC levels for statistical, sales, customer and consensus forecasts.
Work with Supply Planning to ensure alignment between demand and supply and meet key KPIs for Forecasting Accuracy and Fill Rate metrics.
S&OP
Conduct monthly pre‑demand meetings with sales and category teams for assigned channels and customers to establish demand plans and evaluate opportunities and risks at the customer level.
Work with the CPG demand planning manager to organize and facilitate monthly demand reviews, enabling decision‑making and gaining consensus on an approved 12‑18 month category‑level demand plan that serves as the single source of truth.
Support SCM by providing unconstrained rolling 18‑month demand forecast at DC level, maintaining promotions/distribution changes at customer level to ensure proper mapping to DC.
Support S&OE on reviewing exceptions weekly and providing insights or actions.
Manage and participate in S&OP as defined in RACI by the S&OP meeting structures and process.
Leverage JDE and Demand Planning applications for statistical and collaborative forecasting needs.
Analytics, Automation and Continuous Improvement
Organize statistical, marketing and sales, customer forecasts and related analyses for presentation and resolution within the S&OP meeting framework.
Enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness through advanced reporting, analytics and automated presentation processes.
Provide the sales team with customer‑level baseline, analysis and reports for review and updates.
Support RGM, TPM/TPO initiatives aimed at integrating promotion data and analytics into Demantra.
Maintain forecasting tools and systems (e.g., Demantra, PowerBI, Excel).
Position Qualifications
Minimum 8 years in supply chain with a history of accomplishments and continuous improvements.
Bachelor’s degree – Supply Chain, Business Administration, Operations, or Engineering.
CPG/Food Industry knowledge: understanding of how promotions, pricing and distribution changes affect demand.
Financial acumen: ability to understand and apply financial principles to make sound business decisions.
Strong understanding of demand forecasting methodologies, inventory management principles and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Exceptional problem‑solving and analytical skills with leadership ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
High level proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and project management; project BI experience is a plus.
Must be able to travel up to 10% of the time.
APICS certification a plus.
Range of pay $120,000 – $140,000 per year plus annual bonus.
Key Competencies
Awareness of business needs, integrity, continuous learning, effective communication, people skills, creativity, strategic & analytical thinking and business management.
Strong collaboration by actively contributing to team goals, supporting colleagues across functions and fostering a culture of shared accountability and open communication.
Results‑oriented approach and continuous improvement aiming for operational efficiency.
Problem solving, teamwork, accountability & responsibility, customer focus, planning & organizing, and conflict management.
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Demand Planning serves as a strategic partner, driving growth and resilience through data‑driven insights, proactive planning, and cross‑functional collaboration. The goal is to provide actionable forecasts that balance supply chain efficiency, inventory, customer satisfaction, and business growth.
Position Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Demand Forecasting
Deliver best estimated unconstrained consensus 18‑to 24‑month rolling demand forecasts at SKU/customer level to enable business decisions.
Create, own and maintain statistical forecasts within Demantra for assigned products and customers. Track forecast performance, run simulations, review inputs, manage methods and flags, and raise concerns to resolve model issues as needed.
Apply demand planning best practices, implement exception‑based planning, and conduct analysis on forecast streams to improve accuracy with action plans.
Collaborate with SBUs to review assumptions, opportunities and risks. Validate change assumptions before adjusting baseline/statistical forecast (distribution changes, pricing, competitors, promotions, phase‑ins/phase‑outs, new introductions/discontinuations).
Use external data (customer forecast or Circanda data) to validate trends for demand sensing.
Communicate forecasting and demand planning policies and procedures to cross‑functional teams.
Quantify and report forecast accuracy at item/channel, item/customer and item/DC levels for statistical, sales, customer and consensus forecasts.
Work with Supply Planning to ensure alignment between demand and supply and meet key KPIs for Forecasting Accuracy and Fill Rate metrics.
S&OP
Conduct monthly pre‑demand meetings with sales and category teams for assigned channels and customers to establish demand plans and evaluate opportunities and risks at the customer level.
Work with the CPG demand planning manager to organize and facilitate monthly demand reviews, enabling decision‑making and gaining consensus on an approved 12‑18 month category‑level demand plan that serves as the single source of truth.
Support SCM by providing unconstrained rolling 18‑month demand forecast at DC level, maintaining promotions/distribution changes at customer level to ensure proper mapping to DC.
Support S&OE on reviewing exceptions weekly and providing insights or actions.
Manage and participate in S&OP as defined in RACI by the S&OP meeting structures and process.
Leverage JDE and Demand Planning applications for statistical and collaborative forecasting needs.
Analytics, Automation and Continuous Improvement
Organize statistical, marketing and sales, customer forecasts and related analyses for presentation and resolution within the S&OP meeting framework.
Enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness through advanced reporting, analytics and automated presentation processes.
Provide the sales team with customer‑level baseline, analysis and reports for review and updates.
Support RGM, TPM/TPO initiatives aimed at integrating promotion data and analytics into Demantra.
Maintain forecasting tools and systems (e.g., Demantra, PowerBI, Excel).
Position Qualifications
Minimum 8 years in supply chain with a history of accomplishments and continuous improvements.
Bachelor’s degree – Supply Chain, Business Administration, Operations, or Engineering.
CPG/Food Industry knowledge: understanding of how promotions, pricing and distribution changes affect demand.
Financial acumen: ability to understand and apply financial principles to make sound business decisions.
Strong understanding of demand forecasting methodologies, inventory management principles and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Exceptional problem‑solving and analytical skills with leadership ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
High level proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and project management; project BI experience is a plus.
Must be able to travel up to 10% of the time.
APICS certification a plus.
Range of pay $120,000 – $140,000 per year plus annual bonus.
Key Competencies
Awareness of business needs, integrity, continuous learning, effective communication, people skills, creativity, strategic & analytical thinking and business management.
Strong collaboration by actively contributing to team goals, supporting colleagues across functions and fostering a culture of shared accountability and open communication.
Results‑oriented approach and continuous improvement aiming for operational efficiency.
Problem solving, teamwork, accountability & responsibility, customer focus, planning & organizing, and conflict management.
#J-18808-Ljbffr