*Hybrid Role* - Demand Planning Manager - CPG Industry
Location: Nassau County, Long Island
I'm working with one of my favorite clients, a CPG company, to hire a Demand Planning Manager - this is a leadership role, reporting directly to the CFO.
About the role:
The team is seeking a skilled Demand Planning Manager to own and continuously improve demand forecasting across our food & beverage portfolio. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining the official demand signal (“one number”) used for planning, reporting, and decision-making across the organization.
While reporting to the CFO, the Demand Planner works day-to-day in close partnership with Operations, Sales, Supply Chain, and Customer Service to deliver a disciplined, accurate demand plan. This plan supports Master Production Scheduling (MPS) execution, velocity-based inventory strategies, and cross-functional alignment - improving service levels, reducing excess and aging inventory (including perishability considerations), and enabling sustainable growth.
The ideal candidate combines strong analytical capability with sound business judgment and the confidence to challenge assumptions and drive alignment.
Key Responsibilities
Demand Forecasting & Planning
- Develop and maintain a rolling demand forecast by SKU and customer across weekly short-term and monthly/quarterly planning horizons.
- Incorporate historical demand, seasonality, promotions, customer rotations, pricing changes, new item launches, and market intelligence.
- Partner closely with Sales and Commercial teams to validate assumptions and integrate real-time insights.
- Own forecast accuracy measurement (e.g., mean absolute percentage error, bias, error by customer/SKU) and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
S&OP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)
- Lead the demand planning pillar of S&OP / IBP process.
- Prepare demand scenarios, risks, and opportunities for monthly leadership reviews.
- Clearly communicate demand changes and their implications to Supply Planning and Manufacturing.
Inventory & Velocity Alignment
- Align demand plans with velocity tiers and inventory targets to optimize working capital and reduce excess or obsolete stock.
- Proactively identify slow-moving, aging, or at-risk SKUs, accounting for frozen product shelf-life, and recommend corrective actions such as disposition or rationalization.
- Support inventory strategies that minimize stockouts while avoiding overproduction and waste.
Master Production Schedule (MPS) Interface
- Translate demand plans into actionable inputs for the Master Production Schedule.
- Partner with Supply Planning and Manufacturing to confirm feasibility, resolve constraints, and maintain execution discipline.
- Flag demand-driven risks to service, labor, or capacity early to enable proactive mitigation.
Data, Systems & Reporting
- Ensure data integrity across ERP (NetSuite) system and planning tools.
- Develop clear, actionable dashboards and executive-level summaries.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of demand planning processes, tools, and governance.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Act as a neutral, data-driven integrator across Operations, Sales, Finance, and Customer Service.
- Champion a single, trusted demand plan used consistently across the organization.
- Help evolve the planning culture from reactive to proactive through structure, transparency, and accountability.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
- 3-10+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain analytics; CPG or food manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
- Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical capability.
- Proven experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, and Finance.
- Ability to translate complex data into clear insights for non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in food manufacturing, particularly frozen, refrigerated, or perishable products.
- Familiarity with S&OP / IBP processes.
- Experience working with ERP-based planning environments.
- NetSuite experience highly preferred.
- Advanced Excel-driven planning model experience.
- Knowledge of forecast accuracy metrics, inventory optimization, and statistical forecasting concepts.
- Background in high-SKU, customer-segmented environments (retail, club, foodservice).
Key Competencies
- Analytical rigor paired with strong business judgment
- Structured problem-solving and attention to detail
- Ability to influence without direct authority
- Big-picture orientation with a bias for action and continuous improvement
Success Measures (First 12–18 Months)
- Measurable improvement in forecast accuracy and reduction in bias.
- Strong linkage between demand plans, MPS execution, and inventory outcomes.
- Reduction in aging and excess inventory without compromising service levels.
- Establishment of a disciplined, trusted demand planning process embraced across the organization.
Why this company?
This is a high-impact role at a pivotal point in the company's growth. You’ll help build best-in-class planning capabilities, partner directly with senior leadership, and contribute meaningfully to profitability and operational excellence within a growing company.
