Sr Demand Planning Analyst - Post Consumer Brands

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets.

At Post Consumer Brands, we take pride in our longstanding legacy of making one of every five breakfast cereals families eat daily. Today, we’re just as focused on our future as we expand our grocery business with different shelf-stable foods, including snacks and peanut butter. We are committed to providing accessible and delicious food for families, and we’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio. As we soar to new heights, we need creative, determined individuals from all walks of life to join our team, where your unique perspective and ideas are acknowledged and valued. Be a part of a company that empowers you to make a difference that’s evident on grocery store shelves and families’ tables across North America.

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minn. is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America. 

Overview

The Sr. Demand Planning Analyst is responsible for maintaining item forecasts through statistical modeling, as well as enhancing the demand plan with market, promotion and distribution intelligence gathered from cross functional partners in Sales, Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain. The Sr. Demand Planning Analyst will facilitate and actively participate in the monthly forecast alignment meetings, gather and document assumptions, signal demand for production planning, communicate key changes and plan drivers across the org., and assist in executing the demand plan. This analyst is equally comfortable in systems and data, forecast modeling, and steering and influencing the consensus building process.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Works with the Demand Manager, Sales, and Marketing partners to develop the forward looking Demand Plan, which becomes the basis for production planning and financial projections
• Facilitates and/or activity participates within the monthly Integrated Business Planning (IBP) demand alignment meetings, incorporating input from Sales, Marketing, and Finance. Highlight plan changes, document assumptions and risks/opportunities to plan
• Participates in weekly cross functional IBP alignment meeting with key business partners and effectively communicates information to help influence the consensus forecast by telling a story with data, trends, and analysis
• Maintains Item/DC forecasts within the forecasting system, monitoring trends, uses statistical modeling tools to generate 18 month rolling forecast, and enhances the Demand Plan with business intelligence gathered from IBP process and cross functional partners
• Conducts regular analysis on Demand Plan variances, with focus on continuous improvement in Forecast Bias and Forecast Accuracy metrics

Education:  Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, required in supply chain, business, economics, mathematics or statistics 

• APICS, IBF or other relevant Demand Planning certifications are preferred

Experience: 5-10 years industry experience in demand planning and/or IBP processes for CPG, or Mass Retail environment.  Experience with Logility or Kinaxis software highly desirable.

• Highly organized and proactive with demonstrated ability to work under pressure, manage change effectively and influence without authority
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to partner cross functionally in an effective manner and comfortable sharing challenging information and positive information
• Strong technical skillset required in one or more of the major statistical forecast software packages (Logility, Kinaxis, SAP, APO, Manugistics, Demantra)
• Solutions oriented, with strong attention to detail and project management skills