Associate Demand Planner

Smithfield Foods - Smithfield, VA

Part-time - Entry Level

Smithfield, VA

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

About the position

The Associate Demand Planner at Smithfield Foods is responsible for all forecasting activities related to finished goods products across various customers, plants, and distribution locations. This role involves creating and maintaining forecast models at the SKU level, utilizing business intelligence and data from multiple sources. The Associate Demand Planner will lead monthly consensus meetings and play a key role in Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) meetings, ensuring accurate demand forecasts and effective collaboration with sales and business development teams.

Responsibilities

• Creates statistical forecasts by gathering, analyzing, and validating data.
• Executes statistical modeling software and reviews resulting statistical forecast models.
• Applies error analysis techniques to improve forecasting accuracy.
• Reviews sales plans, business development updates, and demand drivers, presenting and assessing feedback on forecasts.
• Recommends adjustments for operational forecasts based on sales and promotional plans.
• Identifies and reports on root causes for forecast errors and assists in establishing annual forecast accuracy targets.
• Tracks sales inputs to new and lost business and aligns forecasts to changing demand by distribution center.
• Facilitates a collaborative planning process to achieve consensus for operational demand forecasts.
• Prepares relevant materials for research and discussion in demand planning meetings.
• Drives SKU rationalization within the managed group.
• Understands shipment trends and category dynamics to support total volume forecasts.
• Provides input to volume planning and manages demand planning meetings.
• Maintains demand planning systems and software, monitoring trends in forecast errors and taking action to improve accuracy.
• Utilizes Logility, SAP, and BI to ensure data integrity and provides timely updates to Supply Chain partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business administration or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proven analytical ability with attention to detail.
• Knowledge of SAP is a plus.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong mathematical aptitude.
• Excellent oral, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented with excellent customer service skills.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams in a complex matrix organization.
• Ability to work well in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Respectful, approachable, and team-oriented with strong relationship-building skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with statistical modeling software.
• Familiarity with demand planning systems.

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Annual Bonus Earning Potential
• Comprehensive Health Insurance
• Retirement Benefits
• Education benefit available from the first day of employment
• Opportunities for career growth and professional development
• Tuition assistance