Demand Planner

FERGUSON•Jacksonville, FL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Since 1953, Ferguson has been a source of quality supplies for a variety of industries, including Commercial/Mechanical, Facilities Supply, Fire and Fabrication, HVAC, Industrial, Residential Trade, Residential Building and Remodel, Waterworks and Residential Digital Commerce. As a Fortune 500 company, Ferguson has approximately 36,000 associates across 1,700 locations and is committed to building better infrastructure, homes, and businesses by making complex projects simple, successful, and sustainable for its customers. The company values proactive problem-solving, adaptability, and continuous service. The Demand Planner role is responsible for generating a baseline demand forecast at the business group level using statistical information and intelligence from cross-functional teams like sales, finance, procurement, and marketing. The goal is to increase forecast accuracy and lower bias. This position involves interacting with all levels of the organization and external customers to foster collaboration and alignment, aiming to improve service levels and minimize excess inventory. The Demand Planner is expected to challenge assumptions, analyze risks and opportunities, assist with new product launches, and analyze demand transitions for obsolete products. The position is based in Newport News, VA, and operates on a hybrid work model (3 days in office, 2 days remote).

Nice To Haves

3+ years of demand planning experience
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related analytical subject area
Experience planning demand for imported products (long lead time)
Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
Has strong analytical skills with the ability to scrutinize and break down facts and concepts in a fast-paced environment.
Strong presentation skills and ability to build positive relationships across the organization.
Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office Excel
Logility Planning software experience
SQL database skills a plus
PowerBI proficiency

Responsibilities

Use demand planning software and statistical forecasting techniques to develop a rolling, 18 months forecast at the business group level.
Follow a regimented monthly cadence to collaborate and collect input from Category Management, Marketing, Business Leaders, Sales, Supply Chain, and Finance to obtain forecast alignment and consensus.
Lead the assigned Demand Review meeting in the monthly S&OP cycle to report on all forecast changes, collaborate with participants and challenge areas of the forecast that do not align with the trends and analysis presented by the planning team.
Serve as a coach and mentor to the business unit to educate the organization on the benefits of demand planning and S&OP.
Run reporting on forecast accuracy, forecast bias, and forecast evolution.
Improve forecast accuracy by analyzing forecast errors and recommending and implementing appropriate action plans.
Participate in Annual Planning and Strategic Planning activities that impact the long-term plan for assigned categories.
Maintain documentation and standard operating procedures for demand planning processes and systems.
Collaborate with Supply Planning and the Replenishment team to optimize inventory flow to reduce risk, eliminate constraints, and decrease lead times on key items.
Participate in or lead projects related to data driven supply chain optimization, planning system improvements, master data strategy, etc.