Demand Planning Lead

Location: Houston, TX (onsite) – Full-time, permanent contract.

About The Role

The Demand Planning Lead supports the North America business unit’s growth strategy and owns all linked supply-chain initiatives surrounding demand planning, forecasting, inventories, and S&OP planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead the monthly S&OP process, ensuring cross-functional alignment, timely decision-making, and clear communication of risks and opportunities.
• Design and improve standardized demand-planning and S&OP processes to enhance scalability and efficiency.
• Develop and maintain accurate demand forecasts across all channels (retail, distributors, Tier 1, eCommerce).
• Monitor forecast accuracy using KPIs, dashboards, and analytics.
• Identify supply–demand imbalances and propose actionable, scenario-based solutions.
• Partner with Channel Leads to improve forecast accuracy and service levels.
• Define and manage inventory strategies, including safety-stock policies and ABC segmentation.
• Drive initiatives to reduce excess and obsolete inventory (SLOB) and improve inventory health.
• Lead continuous-improvement initiatives across planning processes, tools, and methodologies.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and key customers.
• Ensure data accuracy and integrity within SAP, including master-data management.
• Maintain documentation and standard operating procedures for planning processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Economics, Engineering, or a related field (required).
• Master’s degree or MBA (a plus).
• 8+ years of experience in demand planning, supply chain, or related functions.
• Proven experience managing or leading S&OP processes in a cross-functional environment.
• Demonstrated track record of improving forecast accuracy, inventory performance, and planning processes.
• Deep knowledge of key inventory-performance metrics such as forecast accuracy, MAPE, bias, safety stock, ABC, etc.
• Experience in multi-channel environments (e.g., retail, distribution, eCommerce, Tier 1 accounts).
• Strong exposure to data-driven decision-making, forecasting, and inventory optimization.

Skills

• ERP systems (SAP).
• Business analytics (Power BI).
• Microsoft Office Suite – excellent Excel capabilities.
• Integrated Business Planning (IBP).