Jones Stephens - Newport News, VA
posted 4 months ago
The Demand Planner at Jones Stephens Corp. plays a crucial role in managing a subset of the company's demand forecast. This position requires the use of data-driven statistical information combined with insights gathered from various inputs, including financial plans, market plans, sales plans, and industry information, to achieve an unbiased consensus among all stakeholders. The Demand Planner must possess a strong understanding of data, different levels of hierarchy forecasts, forecast error, and the drivers and statistics that can help minimize bias in forecasting. This role is essential in challenging assumptions made by other functions and ensuring that the demand planning process is robust and reliable. The Demand Planner will work in a hybrid environment based out of Newport News, VA, following the Jones Stephens Flex schedule, which typically involves three days in the office (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and two days remote (Monday and Friday). Responsibilities include utilizing demand planning software and statistical forecasting techniques to develop a rolling 18-month baseline forecast. The Demand Planner will follow a regimented monthly cadence to collaborate with various departments such as Category Management, Marketing, Business Leaders, Sales, Supply Chain, and Finance to adjust forecasts and reach consensus. In addition to leading the Demand Review meetings during the monthly S&OP cycle, the Demand Planner will report on forecast changes, collaborate with participants, and challenge any discrepancies in the forecast that do not align with the trends and analysis presented by the planning team. This role also involves coaching and mentoring the business unit to educate the organization on the benefits of demand planning and S&OP, running reports on forecast accuracy, and improving forecast accuracy by analyzing forecast errors and implementing action plans. Participation in Annual Planning and Strategic Planning activities is also a key responsibility, along with maintaining documentation and standard operating procedures for demand planning processes and systems.