Kipling: Senior Analyst, Demand Planning

VF Corporation•Jersey City, NJ

19d•$79,200 - $99,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Eastpak, JanSport and Kipling, we are three unique brands that embody the same spirit of self-expression and discovery. We’re built to resist whatever life throws at us, to express ourselves as individuals, and inspire positive resistance. We put our people first. We always have and we always will. It is ingrained in our DNA. Good people bring out the good in people, and good people are the foundation of this brand. To learn more about our values and our culture, visit www.eastpak.com, www.jansport.com or www.kipling-usa.com. The Senior Demand Planner will lead all Demand Planning activities including analyzing historical data and identifying current trends to develop unconstrained demand forecasts for both the seasonal and monthly processes. This person will also facilitate the Global consolidation of seasonal forecasts and share these forecasts with cross functional teams including finance, sales, and merchandising to ensure alignment with Brand strategy. Forecasts will impact seasonal purchasing and in-season inventory management. This is a hybrid role, working out of our Jersey City, NJ office.

Requirements

5+ years of experience
Bachelor’s degree with preferred concentration in Planning, Supply Chain or Business Management.
APICS or IBF Certifications are a plus
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Proven ability to influence cross-functional partners; using data to tell a story
Ability to understand, assess, & solve problems by leveraging technical and analytical skills
Proven ability to multi-task effectively
Advanced Excel Skills (pivot tables, Power BI). Experience in other analytical tools a plus.
Understanding of reporting tools (Cognos/Brio/SAP)
Self-starter with excellent follow through
Excellent attention to detail
Forecasting System experience, a plus

Responsibilities

Own and manage End-to-End Demand Forecasting: For assigned portions of the business – Lead demand forecasts across categories assigned throughout the GTM process, ensuring alignment with financial plans and marketplace needs. Be the Point of consolidation with Global planning, Supply planning, & other planning team for what concerns demand planning.
Seasonal Planning & Forecasting: Develop and present seasonal carry-over plans for the marketplace (~40% of Seasonal Revenue), aligning with marketplace trends, brand direction, and pre-season forecasts in collaboration with Merchandising.
Lead for Seasonal MFP & Regional OTB Support: Lead the creation and execution of the seasonal Merchandise Financial Plan (MFP) and support the Regions Open-to-Buy (OTB), ensuring alignment with financial targets and marketplace needs.
Drive Forecasting & Marketplace Insights: Partner with Regional Merchandising to deliver GTM forecast inputs, conduct marketplace capacity analysis, and lead demand shaping activities with clear insights on trends and inconsistencies.
Optimize Planning Systems & Strategic Programs: Own and maintain demand planning, oversee forecast accuracy, and lead key initiatives like Quick Turn, Vendor Managed Inventory, and Sales Replenishment programs.
Enable Business Growth Through Analysis & Governance: Identify opportunities, risks, and growth drivers by category, ensure segmentation diligence, and drive cross functional alignment to enhance demand accuracy and marketplace execution.
Reforecasting & Inventory Optimization: Manage style/color ladder plans for key SKUs, adjusting forecasts to meet turn targets and in-stock levels, while collaborating across teams to optimize marketplace inventory.
Replenishment Planning & Seasonal Investment Management: Execute the marketplace never-out and seasonal investment program to optimize inventory flow and meet consumer demand. Place and manage the safety stock signals to ensure consistent availability.
Optimize Long-Range Planning: Own and manage demand/forecast updates into Logility, ensuring precision in demand planning, and lead the analytical rollup of LRP and MFP for strategic decision-making.
Lead the Monthly Demand Reviews and consolidation of global demand to inform supply chain of future needs related to materials, vendor capacity, and buy timing.
Responsible for maintaining forecast in system at style / color and monthly level.
Measure forecast accuracy utilizing agreed upon KPI’s (such as MAPE & BIAS).
Partner closely with supply planning counterparts to determine monthly buy guidelines, understand open to buy and align inventory risks.
Proactively develop ad hoc analyses and recommendations to support business objectives.
Demonstrate product expertise for assigned categories.