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 reviews of promotional plans with sales.
• 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 sales promotions, aligning forecasts to changing demand by distribution center.
• Achieves consensus for operational demand forecasts by facilitating collaborative planning processes with sales and business development personnel.
• Prepares relevant materials to facilitate research and discussion in demand planning meetings.
• Coordinates cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refines forecast models accordingly.
• Drives SKU rationalization for SKUs within the managed group.
• Understands shipment trends and category dynamics to support total volume forecasts.
• Provides input to volume planning processes and facilitates demand planning meetings.
• Leads internal cross-functional communication, integrating information into forecasts via demand consensus and S&OP processes.
• 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 from an accredited four-year college or university in business administration or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proven analytical ability combined with attention to detail.
• Knowledge of SAP is a plus.
• Good problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong mathematical aptitude.
• Strong oral, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and 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.
• Ability to build strong working relationships and maintain a positive work environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Currently enrolled college student with anticipated graduation by the end of the current school year.

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Annual Bonus Earning Potential
• Comprehensive Health Insurance
• Retirement Benefits
• Education benefit available to full and part-time team members on their first day of employment
• Opportunities for career growth and professional development
• Tuition assistance.