Demand Planning Specialist

About the role

JAKKS Pacific, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, seeks an experienced, energetic, self-starter for the role of Demand Planning Specialist at our headquarters in Santa Monica, CA. This role plays a critical part in ensuring product availability by balancing customer demand, production capacity, and supply chain constraints. You will partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Operations, and our overseas Merchandising team to support successful product launches, promotional activities, and ongoing replenishment while minimizing excess inventory and supply risks.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate production releases for raw materials (including electronic components and fabrics) and finished goods based on forecasted demand, production lead times, and minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirements.
• Analyze demand forecasts and production capacity to develop supply plans that support customer requirements and business objectives.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, and Operations to align supply plans with promotional events, product launches, and changing customer demand.
• Review production capacity and identify potential supply constraints, recommending solutions to minimize risk and maximize customer service levels.
• Allocate production across global markets while balancing inventory availability, customer priorities, and manufacturing capacity.
• Monitor product launch timelines and coordinate cross-functional activities to ensure new SKU readiness and on-time delivery.
• Collaborate with the Hong Kong Merchandising team to ensure production volumes, purchase commitments, and shipment timing align with business plans and factory lead times.
• Perform data analysis to support assortment planning, product lifecycle management, inventory optimization, and supply chain decision-making.
• Develop recommendations to minimize inventory liabilities at the factory.
• Prepare reports, analyze KPIs, and communicate risks, opportunities, and action plans to internal stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• 2+ years of experience in Demand Planning, Production Planning, Supply Planning, Purchasing, or Supply Chain.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, and data analysis.
• Ability to analyze demand forecasts and translate them into actionable production and supply plans.
• Strong understanding of production lead times, minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirements, inventory management principles, and production planning processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with ERP systems such as JD Edwards or a similar ERP system is preferred.
• Experience within consumer products, toys, retail, or manufacturing is a plus.

Benefits

• Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, disability, life & accident insurance, and employee assistance program.
• Savings: 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs.

Pay

Compensation for this role typically ranges from $75,000 to $80,000, commensurate with experience, qualifications, location, and education.

About the company

JAKKS Pacific® is a leading designer and marketer of children’s toys and consumer products, producing innovative products across multiple categories including action figures, collectibles, dolls, high-performance activity toys, vehicles, and licensed characters. Recognized in Fortune’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies for four consecutive years and Forbes’ 100 Best Small Companies for three years, JAKKS is committed to cultivating a talented and diverse workforce while fostering a safe, productive, and dynamic work environment.