Senior Manager, Demand Planning
About The Position
The Senior Manager, Demand Planning, will lead the demand planning function for the Canadian Division, ensuring the organization can anticipate and respond to changing market dynamics. This role shapes an accurate and responsive demand plan that balances customer needs, commercial opportunities, operational constraints, and financial commitments. Through close partnership with Sales, Operations, Finance, and Supply Planning, the successful candidate will drive cross-functional alignment, enhance forecast accuracy, and support informed business decisions that maximize service levels while minimizing inventory risk and obsolescence. The ideal candidate is a proactive and influential leader who thrives in complex environments, demonstrates resilience in the face of challenges, and continuously seeks opportunities to strengthen processes, capabilities, and business outcomes. Their ability to translate insights into action and lead through change will be instrumental to the success of both the team and the broader organization. The role offers direct exposure to senior leaders, ownership of a critical planning function, and the opportunity to modernize forecasting, IBP governance, and digital planning capabilities in a complex, fast-moving business.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management, economics, or a related field, or equivalent work experience required.
- 5+ years of experience in demand planning, S&OP, IBP or operations planning, preferably within CPG, food manufacturing or dairy, with demonstrated career progression through increasing scope, accountability or leadership responsibility.
- Proven experience leading teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders in a complex manufacturing or multi-site environment.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior leaders, Sales, Finance, and Integrated Business Planning.
- Strong business acumen, with the ability to connect planning decisions to operational performance, customer impact, cost, inventory, and service outcomes.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information and recommend clear actions.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Power BI.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree is considered an asset.
- Experience with advanced planning systems (SAP APO, Kinaxis, etc) is an asset.
- Bilingualism in French and English is considered an asset.
Responsibilities
- Develop a high-performing team through coaching, talent management, succession planning, and capability building. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Lead the end-to-end demand planning process, ensuring robust forecasting governance, disciplined operating rhythms, and a single, aligned view of demand.
- Drive continuous improvements in forecast accuracy, bias reduction, and decision-making effectiveness. Strengthen reporting and root-cause analysis capabilities, and leverage advanced analytics to improve forecasting insights, identify trends, and support proactive business decisions.
- Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance and Supply Planning to integrate market insights into demand plans, annual operating plans and longer-term demand outlooks. Facilitate alignment on risks, opportunities, assumptions, and gap mitigation strategies to support business objectives.
- Integrate promotional activities, customer initiatives, innovation launches, market intelligence, and external demand signals into planning processes. Develop scenarios and mitigation plans to manage uncertainty and support profitable growth.
- Lead the monthly Demand Review process within the IBP framework, facilitating executive discussions, driving decision-making, and ensuring alignment on volume, assumptions, risks, and opportunities to ensure organization wide alignment
- Ensure demand plans are aligned with financial commitments and strategic priorities. Partner with Finance and Commercial teams to evaluate the impact of demand decisions on revenue, inventory, logistics, and operational costs.
- Lead the adoption of best practices and digital planning capabilities such as advanced analytics and AI-enabled forecasting.
Benefits
- Vacation upon hire
- Generous and complete benefit coverage with group insurance
- Group retirement plan with employer contribution
- Telemedicine and assistance program for employees and their families
- Employee Share Ownership Plan with an employer match
- Paid Parental Leave program
- Paid time off: Sick days, floater days and volunteer day off
- Opportunity to contribute to a collective RRSP & TFSA
- Training and development programs
- Saputo Flex Program, flexible work environment (schedule/location/time off) according to department needs
- Organized activities for employees and their families
- Advantageous discounts on Saputo products
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
