Lead Sales and Operations Planning

Harley-Davidson•Milwaukee, WI

4d•$108,000 - $161,900•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Sales & Operations Planning role serves as a key demand planning subject matter expert for the Parts & Accessories (P&A) business. The role develops and maintains demand forecasts, analyzes business trends, and partners with cross-functional teams to support the monthly S&OP process. It translates sales, marketing, dealer, and product management inputs into actionable demand plans while identifying risks and opportunities that may affect inventory, service, and financial performance. The role supports product availability, improves forecast accuracy, and enables profitable growth across aftermarket Parts & Accessories.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, inventory management, supply chain planning, or Sales & Operations Planning.
Strong understanding of forecasting techniques and demand planning principles.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Experience working with ERP and planning systems such as SAP, SO99+, Kinaxis, Blue Yonder, o9, Anaplan, Just Enough, or similar platforms.
High school diploma or equivalent required.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Analytics, Operations, or a related field.
APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP, or related certification).
Experience within powersports, automotive, aftermarket parts, consumer products, retail, or durable goods industries.
Experience supporting Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes.
Experience with business intelligence and reporting tools such as Power BI, Fabric, Tableau, or similar platforms.
Knowledge of dealer distribution networks and seasonal inventory planning.

Responsibilities

Support forecasting and planning activities related to new product introductions and product transitions.
Develop and maintain monthly demand forecasts for assigned Parts & Accessories product categories.
Analyze historical sales trends, seasonality, promotional activity, product lifecycles, and market dynamics to improve forecast quality.
Monitor forecast accuracy, forecast bias, and demand variability metrics, and recommend corrective actions where needed.
Identify forecast risks and opportunities and communicate potential impacts to business stakeholders.
Partner with business functions to ensure demand plans reflect current conditions and future opportunities, and drive cross-functional alignment and collaboration without direct authority.
Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while applying analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills to support business objectives and decision-making.
Lead category-level demand reviews as part of the monthly S&OP process, providing insights and recommendations to support inventory and replenishment strategies.
Partner with Supply Planning to balance inventory, service levels, and operational objectives, aligning demand forecasts, inventory plans, and financial expectations.
Manage product lifecycle planning by monitoring product phase-ins and phase-outs to identify inventory risks, and provide analytical support for major product launches, seasonal programs, and strategic initiatives.
Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance forecasting methodologies, reporting tools, and planning processes; support planning system enhancements; share best practices; and serve as a resource and mentor within the Demand Planning organization.