Sr. Sales Forecast Planner

Highline Aftermarket - Naperville, IL

Full-time - Senior

Naperville, IL

Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods

About the position

As the liaison between customers/sales and internal forecasting team, this individual is charged to deliver a solid forecast that enables inventory planning to support industry leading fill-rates. As a part of the Commercial Sales organization, the role is responsible for providing data insights and analytical support for the collaborative development, monitoring, and communication of the demand forecast. Utilize strong analytical ability, business partner relationships, and data storytelling skills to drive value in a role that is essential to Highline Warrens success.

Responsibilities

• Act as a liaison between customers/sales and internal forecasting team
• Proactive support and assistance across the entire customer value chain (replenishment to buyer)
• Ensure timely communication and problem-solving to address customer needs
• Use data-driven insights to optimize inventory levels and promotional planning
• Accurate inventory tracking and replenishment to prevent stockouts and dips in in-stock rates
• Anticipate inventory needs based on sales trends and weather forecasts
• Monitor customer inventory levels aiming for a 98.5% fill rate
• Create forecasts based on historical data and customer conversations
• Identify and correct forecast inaccuracies to improve fill-rate
• Plan, monitor, and review for seasonal fluctuations, promotions, and modular/POG updates
• Partner with internal IT team to find ways to integrate customer data into the forecasting model
• Participate in all key customer Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) calls for forecast alignment
• Understand customers forecasting capabilities and identify partnership opportunities
• Provide timely assistance for feature store lists, special requests, and order fill information
• Monitor customer inventory levels and communicate replenishment needs
• Identify opportunities where more inventories could maximize feature/promo sales
• Conduct regular reviews and updates to forecasts based on historical data, customer supply plans, and external factors
• Use Planalytics to proactively plan/push inventory to address changes in demand
• Proactively identify and address potential forecast inaccuracies based on trends
• Breakdown forecast / performance by customer location and roll up to supporting plant

Requirements

• Bachelors degree (BS/MS in supply chain, engineering, operations management, or math/economics desired)
• At least 7-10 years of prior experience in forecasting, supply chain planning, inventory management, manufacturing operations, or a field that demands complex quantitative analysis
• Experience working with distribution and wholesale distributor models is a plus
• Hands-on experience with modeling, forecasting, analysis and simulation tools
• Excel Mastery: Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and complex formulas for data manipulation and analysis
• Database Management: Understanding of database systems to retrieve and manage large datasets efficiently.