Demand Planner

Job Summary

As a Demand Planner at Hitachi Energy, you will take charge of creating and maintaining precise demand forecasts for various products. This role involves ensuring inventory levels are optimized and actively supporting the sales and operations planning (S&OP) framework to align with customer requirements and business goals.

Responsibilities

• Develop and sustain accurate demand predictions across different aggregation levels such as product, product family, and customer by leveraging statistical models, historical sales data, market insights, and inputs from sales and marketing teams.
• Analyze trends including past sales performance, market dynamics, promotions, and new product launches to identify demand drivers and patterns.
• Work collaboratively with teams from sales, marketing, product management, and supply chain to gather insights and validate forecasting assumptions.
• Track the accuracy of forecasts, detect substantial deviations, and apply remedial actions to enhance forecasting reliability.
• Engage actively in the S&OP process by presenting demand plans, flagging potential risks and opportunities, and helping achieve consensus on forecasts.
• Facilitate inventory optimization by providing precise demand signals to production and purchasing units.
• Design and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for demand planning and regularly report on these metrics.
• Utilize advanced planning software and forecasting tools to improve planning capabilities and efficiency.
• Identify and implement opportunities to enhance demand planning processes.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Research, Statistics, or closely related disciplines.
• Three to five years of practical experience in demand planning, forecasting, or analytical roles, preferably within manufacturing or the energy industry.
• Demonstrated expertise in statistical forecasting methods and familiarity with demand planning software like SAP APO, Oracle Demantra, or JDA/Blue Yonder.
• Strong analytical abilities with competence in interpreting complex datasets to extract actionable insights.
• Excellent communication skills and the capability to collaborate effectively across various departments.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and the broader Microsoft Office suite.
• Self-motivated individual capable of working independently and cooperatively in a dynamic environment.
• Good understanding of S&OP principles and processes is an added advantage.