Description:

About the Role

The Senior Demand Planner / Lead Demand Planning is responsible for owning and driving the end-to-end demand planning function across multiple sales channels, including D2C, marketplaces, and offline channels. This role plays a strategic part in enabling inventory optimization, service level improvement, and sustainable business growth through accurate, data-driven demand forecasting.

The role partners closely with senior stakeholders across finance, marketing, sales, and supply chain to translate business strategies into actionable demand plans. The incumbent will lead forecasting governance, drive S&OP alignment, and continuously improve demand planning processes, models, and systems in a fast-paced, multi-channel environment.

Key Responsibilities

- Own and lead end-to-end demand planning and forecasting across all channels, ensuring alignment with revenue plans, promotional strategies, and business objectives.

- Develop, maintain, and enhance statistical and judgmental demand forecasts using historical data, seasonality, market trends, and commercial inputs.

- Partner with senior stakeholders in finance, marketing, sales, and supply chain to consolidate inputs, challenge assumptions, and drive consensus on demand plans.

- Lead demand planning for new product launches, range expansions, and product transitions, ensuring minimal obsolescence and smooth lifecycle management.

- Drive forecast accuracy improvement initiatives by tracking KPIs, analyzing variances, and implementing corrective actions.

- Lead and facilitate Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and demand review forums, ensuring strong alignment between demand, supply, and financial plans.

- Build and own advanced dashboards, reports, and analytical models using Excel, SQL, and BI tools to track demand trends, forecast performance, and risks.

- Establish demand planning governance, standard operating procedures, and best practices across channels and categories.

- Mentor and guide junior demand planners or analysts, providing technical direction and performance feedback.

- Identify and implement process improvements, automation, and digital tools to enhance planning efficiency and scalability.

Qualifications & Skills

- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Statistics, Economics, Supply Chain, or a related discipline; advanced qualifications preferred.

- 6-10 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain analytics within FMCG, retail, e-commerce, or D2C environments.

- Strong expertise in demand forecasting models, S&OP frameworks, and multi-channel planning complexities.

- Advanced proficiency in Excel / Google Sheets; strong working knowledge of SQL and BI tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Looker Studio, or similar platforms.

- Proven experience in driving forecast accuracy improvement and influencing senior stakeholders.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities with a data-driven mindset.

- Excellent communication, presentation, and cross-functional leadership skills.

- Ability to thrive in a high-growth, fast-paced, and ambiguous environment.