Demand Planner I

Renfro Brands•Mount Airy, NC

33d•Onsite

About The Position

The Demand Planner I generates baseline demand forecasts for company accounts and SKUs across multiple brand lines and channels. The role analyzes inventory, sales, shipment, and time-series data to support financial performance, sales planning, and supply-chain decisions. It develops forecasts and safety-stock recommendations, prepares reports and visualizations for senior leadership and suppliers, and collaborates with Sales, Marketing, Operations, and other internal and external contacts. The position also contributes to annual budgeting, line planning, merchandising, and post-season reviews, and performs ad hoc business analyses. The role is based in a conditioned corporate office in Mount Airy, North Carolina, with occasional domestic travel to other office locations and occasional off-shift support.

Requirements

High school education and an associate or bachelor’s degree in economics, mathematics, finance, statistics, engineering, supply chain, analytics, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
Excellent attention to detail, time management, and ability to meet deadlines.
Positive attitude, disciplined work ethic, and ability to handle highly confidential information.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to interact professionally with internal and external customers, senior management, executives, and customers.
Self-starter with confidence, good judgment, energy, and the ability to work in a challenging environment.
Ability to work unsupervised and effectively under tight deadlines, stress, and high-pressure conditions.
Ability to navigate and work effectively in a large, matrixed corporate organization and collaborate objectively to solve problems.
Strong understanding of merchandise planning, allocation strategies, inventory management, and operational accuracy.
Proven analytical, critical-thinking, organizational, and project-management skills, including the ability to advance multiple projects constructively.
Familiarity with standard forecasting concepts, practices, and procedures.
Computer skills including SQL, Access, and Microsoft Office, with expert-level Excel proficiency.
Minimal physical demands, including occasional bending, stooping, and walking; frequent computer work and consistent daily attendance are required.
Occasional off-shift support and occasional domestic travel to other office locations are required.

Nice To Haves

At least three years of relevant work experience, such as retail, wholesale sales, buying, planning, or supply chain.
Experience with web-based portals, business intelligence tools such as Qlik or Tableau, and Microsoft Dynamics.
Experience using statistical programming languages such as R or Python to manipulate and analyze data.

Responsibilities

Generate accurate baseline forecasts for accounts and SKUs across brand lines and channels, accounting for seasonality, point-of-sale trends, promotions, and competitive activity.
Facilitate monthly collaborative forecast meetings with Sales, Marketing, and Operations to review demand plans, market trends, and program assumptions and reach a consensus forecast.
Analyze and prepare aggregated forecasts, shipment data, and time-series data for senior leadership and suppliers.
Participate in yearly financial budgeting.
Define SKU-level safety stock using mathematical models to support in-stock and inventory goals.
Coordinate with brand managers to identify and correct discrepancies in lifecycle codes in the company’s internal system and database.
Interpret data using analytical tools, mathematics, statistics, industry experience, and logic to support decisions and meaningful discussion.
Compare planned output with actual output, identify imbalances, and present data through visualizations.
Create retail sales and shipment trend reports to support collaboration, sales, and supply-chain efficiency.
Collaborate with Sales, Production Planning, and Operations on daily business needs, inventory-turn goals, sales budgets, and supply-chain risks related to product development initiatives.
Create reports and databases; participate in line planning, merchandising, and post-season reviews by analyzing product performance and customer behavior.
Develop and test mathematical and statistical models for categories and brands to ensure accuracy.
Provide ad hoc business analyses as needed.
Communicate with internal and external account contacts to verify data accuracy, future strategies, and current conditions.
Conduct store visits to understand competitive products, pricing, and changes.
Use problem-solving methods to define planning problems, develop alternatives, and implement lasting countermeasures that address root causes.
Comply with regulations, policies, work procedures, instructions, and confidentiality requirements.