Forecasting Specialist - Walmart

Mattel•El Segundo, CA

4d•$115,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Mattel is seeking a Forecasting Specialist to lead forecasting and planning for a top retailer. As part of the Sales Planning & Analytics team, this role supports collaborative sales forecasting, inventory management, sales planning, and order fulfillment for the Sales team and customer inventory and planning teams. The Specialist serves as the subject matter expert for an assigned account and brands, develops weekly item-level point-of-sale projections, and aligns plans with internal stakeholders and retail partners. The role also determines weekly item- and channel-level shipping plans, supports retail in-stock and future order needs, and helps manage end-to-end commercial execution. The position is based in El Segundo, California, with in-office work Monday through Thursday and work from home on Fridays.

Requirements

Strong analytical skills, including coordinating diverse information, identifying relevant data, and recommending and implementing corrective actions.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including communicating across organizational levels and functions and understanding, assessing, and presenting others’ viewpoints.
Sound business judgment and the ability to interpret issues and recommend actions supporting group, division, and corporate goals.
Process-oriented approach, including identifying process improvements and sharing expertise.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with advanced Excel skills.
Direct forecasting experience planning in a highly seasonal environment with long lead times.
Extensive experience analyzing large data sets, blending data from multiple sources, conducting analysis, and compiling actionable reports to facilitate decision-making and strategic planning.
Knowledge of demand forecasting tools and cross-functional forecasting processes, such as JDA, SAP, Demantra, or Anaplan.
At least 5 years of relevant experience in sales analysis or merchandise buying/planning.

Nice To Haves

Experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG) or retail.
Experience with Power BI, Alteryx, BigQuery, or other database programs.
Experience with statistical forecasting techniques, systems applications, and model building.

Responsibilities

Serve as the subject matter expert on assigned accounts and brands.
Lead analysis of sales trends to improve weekly item-level POS projections and align plans with internal stakeholders and retail partners.
Select appropriate models for evaluating item-level forecasts, considering consumer consumption forecasts, brand and product history, comparable products, inventory levels, and marketing programs.
Determine weekly shipping plans by item and channel to support POS plans, retailer in-stock performance, and future order needs.
Create product flow patterns based on seasonality, planned promotions, distribution, and price point.
Participate in internal consensus meetings; present POS demand forecasts and key data findings to cross-functional S&OP teams to support monthly consensus forecasts.
Participate with the Mattel sales team in collaborative forecasting meetings with buyers and replenishment managers; present business findings and recommend seasonal action plans.
Support store in-stock metrics by influencing the end-to-end order process, including order creation, daily order reviews, maintaining perfect purchase orders, and optimizing fill rates.
Direct execution of the Direct Import business from Asia in close partnership with the Customer Service team in Hong Kong.