Sr Manager Demand Planning

Ulta Beauty, Inc. • Bolingbrook, IL

4h

About The Position

Discover greater levels of performance. With over 1,300 stores throughout the U.S. and an innovative omni-channel ecosystem, Ulta Beauty is revolutionizing the beauty retail experience. Ulta Beauty is expanding its digital capabilities, opening new stores on a continual basis and re-designing existing locations with the latest design and technological advancements for heightened guest experiences. We’re not just growing, we’re thriving through consistent innovation and a bold commitment to re-imagination. If you want the opportunity to build something strategic, to take ownership of your career trajectory, to apply your passion to operational excellence, Ulta Beauty provides the kind of stability and support few organizations can match. So be curious. Be flexible. Be more than you thought possible. The future is yours at Ulta Beauty.
THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE:
The Senior Manager, Demand Planning is responsible for leading enterprise-wide demand forecasting across all brands and channels, while directly managing and developing a high-performing team of planners. This role owns the integrity of the end-to-end demand signal, ensuring alignment between strategic financial targets and detailed SKU-level forecasts to enable optimal inventory, margin, and customer outcomes.
As a key thought leader within MP&O, this role serves as a critical connector across Merchandising, Merchandise Planning, FP&A, Supply Chain, and Analytics. By driving enterprise initiatives, advancing forecasting capabilities, and applying strong retail judgment, the Senior Manager will enable Ulta Beauty to make faster, more informed decisions and operate as one enterprise demand plan.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Business Analytics, Computer Science, or related field; Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or inventory management within a retail environment, with 3–5+ years in a people leadership role.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-scale forecasting and inventory optimization initiatives.
• Deep knowledge of demand forecasting models (e.g., time series, causal, Bayesian) and inventory optimization principles.
• Advanced proficiency with demand planning platforms (e.g., Manhattan DFIO, SAP APO, o9, Blue Yonder, Kinaxis, Anaplan).
• Strong statistical foundation (e.g., regression, A/B testing, decision trees) with hands-on application to business problems.
• Experience using Python and/or R for data analysis and modeling.
• Advanced SQL skills for data mining, feature extraction, and insight generation.
• Strong retail and commercial acumen with the ability to balance analytics and business judgment.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, capable of influencing senior leaders and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proven ability to lead teams through change, ambiguity, and transformation.
• Highly organized, proactive, and detail-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and curiosity.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide demand forecasting across all brands, categories, and channels.
• Manage and develop a team of demand planners, building strong forecasting, analytics, and business acumen.
• Drive annual and in-season sales planning, scenario modeling, and risk identification.
• Refine forecasting models and assumptions using historical data, market trends, and promotional plans.
• Partner with Merchants, Merchandise Planning, and FP&A to align forecasts with financial and merchant strategies.
• Ensure department/brand demand forecasts reflect newness, cannibalization, promotional, facing, event and enterprise strategies.
• Ensure Demand Planning team is fully integrated into the merchant and planning processes and processes are modified where needed to ensure sales, margin and inventory optimization.
• Translate complex data into clear insights and recommendations for senior leaders.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Store Operations to optimize inventory flow and availability.
• Leverage analytics, visualization tools, and system enhancements to improve forecast accuracy and decision-making.
• Lead enterprise initiatives and ambiguous problem spaces with a strategic, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Anticipate downstream impacts of decisions across the end-to-end planning and supply chain lifecycle and proactively mitigate risk.
• Champion customer-first outcomes by defining clear business problems, success metrics, and monitoring frameworks used consistently across stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement in supply chain efficiency, inventory productivity, and financial performance.

Benefits

• Full-time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits.
• Part-time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level