Senior CPFR Planner

MGA Entertainment, Inc.•Minneapolis, MN

44d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior CPFR Planner is responsible for managing the end-to-end planning process for assigned retail customers and sales channels. This position serves as the primary Operations point of contact for assigned Sales Leads and customers, owning forecasting, replenishment, order management, inventory planning, and execution activities. The Senior CPFR Planner develops and maintains collaborative demand plans by incorporating statistical forecasting, AI-driven forecasting tools, customer insights, sales and marketing intelligence, financial plans, POS trends, and inventory performance. This role is responsible for Demand Planning, CPFR collaboration, chase and cancel management, import order management, inventory health, and customer service performance while partnering closely with Sales, Supply Planning, Customer Service, Logistics, Finance, and Operations. The Senior CPFR Planner ensures customer requirements are met through proactive planning, cross-functional collaboration, continuous process improvement, and execution excellence while supporting company financial and customer service objectives.

Requirements

At least five (5) years of experience in CPFR, Demand Planning, Customer Supply Chain, Supply Chain, Sales Operations, or related planning roles.
Strong knowledge of end-to-end supply chain processes including demand planning, replenishment, inventory management, import planning, and customer order execution.
Ability to build strong relationships across all organizational levels and with external customers.
Demonstrated strong aptitude in analysis, root cause identification, and problem solving.
Ability to analyze complex business data, draw sound conclusions, and formulate action plans.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Strong customer service orientation and interpersonal skills.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to thrive in ambiguous situations.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, formulas, and data analysis.
BS/BA Degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Analytics, or related field, or equivalent work experience.

Nice To Haves

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) experience preferred.
Experience supporting national retail customers is highly desirable.
Experience with CPFR processes and customer collaboration.
Experience managing retailer replenishment, inventory planning, and order management.
Experience with demand planning systems (SAP IBP/APO, Blue Yonder, Kinaxis, Oracle, o9, or similar).
Experience using retailer portals and POS data (Retail Link, Vendor Central, Nielsen, Circana/IRI, or similar).
Experience with statistical forecasting techniques.
Experience leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), or advanced analytics to improve demand forecasting, identify demand patterns, automate planning activities, and enhance forecast accuracy.
Experience using AI-enabled planning platforms, predictive analytics tools, or generative AI technologies (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, or similar) to improve planning efficiency and decision making.
Experience with data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary Operations point of contact for assigned Sales Leads and retail customers.
Own the end-to-end customer planning process from demand planning through order fulfillment.
Develop and maintain collaborative customer forecasts utilizing statistical models, AI-driven forecasting tools, sales inputs, customer intelligence, POS trends, promotional plans, and financial assumptions.
Lead CPFR meetings and planning discussions with internal and external business partners.
Build strong partnerships with customer replenishment teams to improve service levels, inventory productivity, and forecast alignment.
Proactively communicate critical business changes, supply risks, and opportunities to internal and external stakeholders.
Analyze and update SKU-level demand signals using historical shipments, POS data, statistical forecasting, promotions, seasonality, AI-generated insights, and business intelligence.
Calculate statistical baseline forecasts and maintain customer demand plans.
Establish and utilize best forecasting methods, statistical models, AI-enabled planning tools, and software applications to create customer and SKU-level forecasts.
Analyze historical sales trends utilizing POS information, syndicated market data, shipment history, and customer intelligence to support forecast assumptions.
Utilize product lifecycle knowledge to develop forecasts for new product launches, transitions, and discontinued items.
Continuously improve forecast accuracy through evaluation of promotional activity, inventory changes, consumer trends, category performance, media plans, and AI-generated recommendations.
Submit volume projections supporting Budget, Financial Forecasts, and Long-Range Planning.
Manage replenishment planning activities to maintain customer service, inventory, and sales objectives.
Own chase and cancel management by reviewing customer order changes and coordinating execution across Sales, Customer Service, Supply Planning, Logistics, and Operations.
Manage import order planning and monitor inbound inventory to support customer demand and promotional timelines.
Monitor customer inventory positions, weeks of supply, fill rates, and service levels while recommending corrective actions.
Coordinate order prioritization and allocation decisions during supply constraints.
Resolve customer order exceptions and communicate recovery plans to internal stakeholders and customers as appropriate.
Participate in the monthly S&OP process representing assigned customer portfolios.
Develop customer forecast rollups and provide insights on market trends, customer demand, inventory risks, and business opportunities.
Gain consensus from Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Planning on key assumptions and forecast changes.
Support monthly Demand Alignment meetings and communicate key planning decisions.
Ensure business plans are supported through the demand planning and replenishment process.
Prepare, monitor, and publish key performance indicators including Forecast Accuracy (WMAPE), Forecast Bias, Fill Rate, OTIF, Inventory Health, Customer Service Levels, Chase & Cancel Performance, Import Order Status, and Planning Scorecards.
Monitor orders versus forecast and respond to planning exceptions with collaborative action plans.
Identify key issues requiring immediate escalation and recommend corrective actions.
Conduct root cause analysis for forecast errors, inventory risks, and customer service issues.
Prepare customer business reviews highlighting operational performance, trends, risks, opportunities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Produce reports supporting ongoing analysis of sales, inventory, forecasts, replenishment performance, and customer service metrics.
Identify opportunities to improve planning, replenishment, customer collaboration, and operational processes.
Research and recommend process improvements, best practices, automation, and emerging technologies.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement operational improvements.
Support implementation of new planning systems, AI-enabled technologies, reporting tools, and automation initiatives.
Drive continuous improvement efforts to enhance forecast accuracy, customer service, inventory performance, planning efficiency, and overall supply chain execution.