Manager, Planning

Aspire Bakeries Careers•Los Angeles, CA

21d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Aspire Bakeries, we create foods that bring people together, from artisan breads to cookies. We are looking for hard-working individuals with integrity, creativity, and a passion for excellence. We offer a workplace culture built on care, ownership, and growth. With 13 commercial bakeries across North America and a reputation as an industry leader, Aspire Bakeries is rising together with our people and our customers to be the best all-around bakery solution. We are seeking a Demand Planning Manager to join our team at our Los Angeles office. As a Demand Planning Manager, you will be accountable for developing an accurate, unbiased unconstrained demand plan that drives operational, financial, and strategic alignment across the business. Your work ensures Aspire Bakeries makes the right decisions on inventory, capacity, service, and commercial priorities. This role requires you to be onsite in our Los Angeles office four days per week, giving you hands-on collaboration with cross-functional partners and direct visibility into the rhythms of the business.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Logistics, or a related field.
3+ years of demand planning or forecasting experience, preferably within food & beverage or CPG.
Hands-on experience with demand planning systems (e.g., SAP IBP for Demand).
Strong analytical capabilities, including advanced Excel and data modeling skills.
Experience using BI/reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, AERA, Tableau, Business Objects).
Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to translate data into actionable insights.
Demonstrated ability to balance short-term priorities with long-term planning needs.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant field.
Experience with multi-SKU, multi-channel, or high-variability product portfolios.
Advanced forecasting or analytics training/certifications.
Experience supporting or leading S&OP/IBP processes.
Proven track record influencing cross-functional teams in a planning environment.

Responsibilities

Own and continuously improve the end-to-end demand planning process to deliver an accurate, credible unconstrained forecast.
Develop and refine statistical baseline forecasts using consumption data, POS, and advanced modeling techniques.
Integrate commercial insights, customer intelligence, and demand drivers to ensure operational and financial alignment.
Lead cross-functional forecast alignment through effective collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Planning, and Customer Service.
Monitor forecast performance using key metrics (accuracy, bias, FVA) and lead root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Analyze historical sales, seasonality, and demand trends to enhance forecast quality and reliability.
Drive continuous improvement of demand planning processes, systems, and analytical capabilities.