Demand Planner

The Company:

Basic Fun! is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of some of the world’s best known and loved toys including Tonka, Care Bears, Lite Brite, Lincoln Logs, K’nex, Playhut and Cutetitos.  Our products are sold by leading retailers and distributors throughout the US and over 60 countries around the world.   Basic Fun! has an omni-channel go-to-market strategy with a strong presence on-line, in store and in family entertainment venues.  Our iconic brands and broad product portfolio span generations and help create unforgettable memories.  

Position Overview:

Job Summary: The Demand Planner will be responsible for the forecasting process, incorporating business intelligence and forecast information gathered from sales, new product development, marketing, and shipment history. The Demand Analyst will work with the planning group to reduce forecast error and bias reduction through the isolation and minimization of artificial demand variability.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Prepares sales forecasts and collects and analyzes data to evaluate current sales goals
• Build an overlay forecast based on a 26, 52, 78 week plan. Our forecast, customer forecast and plug in actual POS data. Analyze forecast -SWOT analysis
• Produce detailed forecast, financial and inventory reports
• Review historical sales, develop forecast and evaluate results
• Redefine forecast goals
• Interact with upper management and sales/marketing team to understand demand forecast drivers
• Monitor and coordinate customer changes and demands and update team
• Manage inventory and ensure deadlines are met
• Manage POS reports
• Researches and evaluates current economic conditions that may affect the organization's ability to sell its products or services in the marketplace
• Assists in the development of sales quotas and forecasts for the sales team
• Recommends changes to current sales techniques, procedures or promotional efforts based on market research and new trends
• Collects data from sales reports for analysis
  Develops methods and strategies for assessing large amounts of data
• Supply Chain Support – on hand inventory, production timelines, lead times, must have understanding of the supply chain from vendor PO to shipping of goods to store level receipts
• Understand Product BOM and the ingredients for costing. Forecasting longest lead of material so we are able to move up production schedules on hot items. Ex. Purchasing a chip at $.80 long lead time, prior to purchasing finished goods at $5.40 on not shipping
• Prepare and present reports, charts, and tables detailing trend factors to help inform the leadership team during S&OP meetings
• Compose and distribute forecast performance reports as part of the Supply Chain Flash
• Report on forecast accuracy and BIAS coupled with the necessary analysis to determine root cause identification in an effort to continuously improve forecast accuracy
• Collaborate with the Sales and Marketing teams to conduct root cause analysis and correction of top forecast accuracy issues.
• Prepare ad hoc reports for Planning, Sales and Marketing teams. CRM Management • Identify where new relationships need to be created
• Ensure input accuracy from sales
• Challenge sales on erratic information
• Input forecasts from INTRANET
• Remove/Alter forecasts based on lost business
• Assist sales in best practices for making entries
• Weekly reporting of "CRM Alerts" identifying disruptive opportunities Forecasting
• Research historical data in order to map trends at an item and customer level.
• Create the best demand-driven statistical baseline forecast possible based on understanding the different statistical models offered by JDA
• Identify the drivers of variance in monthly forecasts
• Monitor relationships of Packer/Processors and Key customers
• Gather information from sales and marketing to anticipate incremental sales activity from events and new product launches
• Manage the timely integration of sales opportunities from CRM into the forecast in JD
   

Requirements:

• 3 years of demand planning and/or forecasting experience
• Strong Excel skills (VBA, Power Query, Dashboards)
• SQL 
• Tableau, Power BI, other BI tools
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent

OUR CORE VALUES:

1. We love delivering WOW!
2. Act with Integrity and Do the Right Thing.
3. Inspire Passion for Creativity and Innovation.
4. Be Disciplined to Create Lasting Impact.
5. Play, Have Fun and Laugh Together.
6. Embrace Humility.
7. Pursue Growth and Learning.
8. Hustle and Act with a Sense of Urgency.
9. Commit to Excellence.
10. Gratitude Keeps Us Grounded.