Associate Demand Planner

Smithfield Foods•Smithfield, VA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section. Are you a driven and motivated professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, building relationships, collaborating with great colleagues, and achieving business results? Join one of the country’s top consumer packaged goods companies, Smithfield Foods! We have built a culture that places value on our employees, our animals, the environment and the communities we all share. Smithfield Foods is consistently evolving and looking for individuals that can help foster relationships and achieve results to impact our bottom line! As an Associate Demand Planner, you will play a critical role in shaping the future of our supply chain by driving accurate demand forecasts that ensure our delicious products—yes, including BACON—are always available to our customers and consumers. As an Associate Demand Planner at Smithfield Foods, you will collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Business Development, Finance, and other key teams to build and maintain SKU level forecast models that reflect real-time market intelligence and consumer insights. You will lead monthly consensus meetings and actively contribute to our Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, aligning forecasts with strategic goals and operational capabilities. If you're a proactive problem-solver who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys turning data into action, this is your opportunity to grow with one of America’s top consumer packaged goods companies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
Strong foundation in analytical thinking, problem-solving, and mathematical aptitude to support data driven decisions.
Utilize tools such as Logility, SAP, and BI platforms to maintain high levels of data integrity and enhance forecasting accuracy.
Ability to interpret complex datasets with precision and attention to detail is essential for success in this role.
Exhibit strong oral, written, and verbal communication skills while fostering a respectful, approachable, and team-oriented presence.
Build positive working relationships across departments and contribute to a collaborative, high performing work environment.
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering excellent customer service.
Thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Demonstrate flexibility, teamwork, and a proactive mindset.
Committed to the overall success of supply chain operations.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity SAP, Business Intelligence (BI) platforms, and Anaplan is a plus.

Responsibilities

Creates statistical forecasts: Drive the development and continuous improvement of data-driven demand forecasts by collecting, validating, and analyzing historical and market data, leveraging advanced statistical modeling tools, and applying error analysis techniques to enhance forecast precision and support smarter supply chain decisions.
Reviews sales plans, business development updates and demand drivers: Collaborate closely with Sales and Business Development to present and evaluate forecast data, gather feedback, and recommend strategic adjustments to operational forecasts. Review promotional plans and track inputs from new business, lost accounts, and sales initiatives to ensure forecasts align with evolving demand across distribution centers. Identify root causes of forecast variances, report performance against targets, and contribute to setting annual forecast accuracy goals to drive continuous improvement and supply chain agility.
Forecast Optimization & Business Insights: Lead forecast refinement and business alignment by preparing analytical materials to support collaborative research discussions, coordinating cross-functional efforts to reconcile forecast variances, and integrating updated assumptions from Sales and Business Development. Drive SKU rationalization within your assigned portfolio, analyze shipment trends and category dynamics, and ensure total volume forecasts reflect real-time market shifts and distribution center demand.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Consensus Building: Orchestrate demand planning meetings with Sales and Business Development to foster alignment across teams, build consensus on forecast assumptions, and integrate cross-functional insights into the demand planning and S&OP process. Ensure seamless communication between commercial and operational stakeholders to support accurate, agile forecasting.
Forecast Accuracy & Data Integrity: Optimize forecast accuracy at the SKU and location level by monitoring weekly performance, analyzing error trends, and implementing corrective actions to improve reliability. Leverage tools such as Anaplan, SAP, and Business Intelligence platforms to maintain high data integrity, incorporate competitive and market insights, and provide timely updates to Supply Chain partners to support scenario planning and strategic decision making.