Senior Demand and Inventory Planner

Field Fastener•Machesney Park, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Demand Planner is responsible for creating a reliable, data‑driven demand signal that enables the business to balance service, inventory, and working capital—especially in an OEM/VMI environment with erratic and project‑based usage. This role sits at the intersection of Sales/Account Management, Purchasing, Commodity Management, and Operations. The Demand Planner owns the forecast, the assumptions behind it, and the process discipline that turns noise into an actionable plan. This role does not own customer relationships or place purchase orders. The Demand Planner interacts with cross-functional teams and will need to be confident to drive decisions and challenge input without direct leadership oversight of those individuals. The teams will include Account Management, Sales, Sourcing, Finance and Leadership.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED equivalent
Polite and professional manner.
3-5 years of forecasting experience
Advanced Excel (forecasting, pivots, data modeling).
Experience with demand planning / inventory tools
Understanding of intermittent and lumpy demand
Ability to synthesize imperfect and conflicting data into a clear plan
Understanding of lead times, MOQs, and constraints
Financial acumen related to inventory and working capital
Comfortable with ambiguity and imperfect data
Strong communicator who can challenge assumptions
Process‑driven but pragmatic
Strong in mathematics
Statistical modeling experience
Use Supply Chain Management (SCM) principles to comprehend and influences that affect inventory demand forecasting.

Nice To Haves

OEM / industrial distribution experience preferred.
Vendor Managed Inventory.
Working knowledge of ERP systems, preferably Prophet 21.
Working knowledge of threaded fasteners is preferred.
Some knowledge of “C” class items is beneficial.
Previous fastener distribution and/or fastener manufacturing experience, beneficial.
CPIM certification
2-5 years in buying / analysis/ supply chain
Power Bi experience
SQL experience
Data Scientist background
Bachelor Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Mathematics, Statistics
Python and/or R experience.

Responsibilities

Develop rolling forecasts (12–24 months) at SKU / customer / location level and own the execution and communication to the team
Segment demand (stable, intermittent, project, lifecycle)
Incorporate customer programs, EOLs, launches, and engineering changes
Maintain forecast accuracy and bias metrics
Ownership of ABC Classification and management
Owns statistical and collaborative forecasts
Prepare demand inputs for monthly planning cadence
Present risks, upside, downside, and confidence ranges to VP of Supply Chain, Executive Vice President and/or President.
Align demand plan with inventory and supply strategies
Translate OEM signals (consumption, schedules, forecasts) into actionable demand
Define min/max, safety stock logic, and replenishment triggers
Identify customers/items where VMI is inappropriate
Recommends stocking vs non‑stocking classifications
Partner with Inventory Optimization tools and consultants
Recommend stocking policies by SKU class
Identify excess, obsolete, and slow‑moving inventory drivers
Escalates gaps between demand and supply
Act as the single source of truth for demand assumptions
Document forecast changes and rationale
Drive accountability to one agreed plan