Job Details - Demand Planner, Nestle USA, Glendale, CA

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Nestle USA is looking for a Demand Planner, to be located in our corporate headquarters in Glendale, CA.

For the eighth consecutive year, Nestlé USA was named 'Most Admired Food Company in America' by Fortune magazine. Nestlé in the United States, which includes Nestlé USA, Nestlé Nutrition, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, Nestlé Waters North America, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc., and Alcon Laboratories, Inc., is a part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland—the world’s largest food company, with 2005 sales of $73 billion. Nestlé USA is committed to providing foods and beverages that enhance every life experience—from STOUFFER’S® Lasagna family nights to baking traditions with NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE®. Headquartered in Glendale, Calif., Nestlé USA has 21,000 employees, $12.5 billion in sales with 51 manufacturing facilities, 5 distribution centers and 59 sales offices across the country. For more information, visit us at www.nestleusa.com

EOE/MFDV:

Nestlé is an 'Equal Opportunity Employer' and is looking for diversity in candidates in employment.

Position Summary:

This position is responsible for developing the sales forecasts for Nestle products and presenting them to the consensus forecasting team for review/adjustment. Through a combination of market analysis and statistical modeling, projections of future sales are built. These forecasts are then discussed with the consensus team and risks against the financial plan are highlighted. This person will use statistical models to evaluate how proposed demand events may impact sales volume. The Demand Planner will provide specialized analytical support to Marketing and Sales.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

* Analyze factors that impact demand for Nestle products (i.e., category trends / trade promotions / competitive products / seasonality / retail consumption / distribution channels), and build statistical models that quantify the business environment.
* Function as the primary expert regarding demand for Nestle products. Use this expertise to advise the consensus team regarding how various demand events impact sales.
* Present statistical forecasts to the consensus team. Explain business assumptions behind the forecast and methods used to quantify each event.
* In partnership with the Sales team, use promotion event post-audit data to analyze the effectiveness of trade promotions. Use the resulting insight to forecast the impact of future promotion events. Advise management regarding which promotion vehicles would be most effective under which circumstances.
* Develop statistical models of causal factors that have a strong correlation to demand for Nestle products (i.e., sales of cars four years ago drive sales of replacement tires today).
* Compare forecasts to financial budgets. Explain variances, note uncertainty and highlight risk areas to the consensus team.
* Analyze buying patterns of key customers and predict how they will react to incentives.
* Analyze market response to new products and use this to develop forecasts for new items not yet introduced.
* Work with Sales and Marketing to identify opportunities for controlling demand in the event of chronic factory capacity problems or inventory shortages.
* Regularly validate forecast splits down to the Item/DC/Week level. Adjust the short-term DC-Week forecasts as necessary to support effective deployment of inventory.
* Support supply planning by communicating key issues and uncertainty behind the forecast. Adjust forecasts mid-month when orders are not developing as expected.
* Other functions as required.

Position Requirements:

* BA/BS required. MBA/MS desirable.
* Coursework in a combination of 2 years Economics, Calculus, and Statistics desirable.
* Coursework in Marketing OR work experience in consumer goods Sales/Marketing desirable.
* Strong analytical aptitude with a proven ability to analyze/interpret data and build quantitative models of business problems.
* Excellent oral and written skills, organizational and time-management abilities, effective inter-personal skills, and the ability to work with personnel at all organizational levels. Flexibility and adaptability to the demands and requirements of a fast-paced environment with multiple demands and priorities.
* Excellent creative thinking skills with emphasis on developing innovative solutions to complex problems that may not have one clear answer.
* Understanding of how to collect appropriate data and calculate the
following: price elasticity factor, channel penetration curve, market response coefficient, cannibalization ratio, product segmentation map helpful.
* Expertise in how to apply multiple linear regression and exponential smoothing to consumer goods demand models helpful.
* Ability to find errors in large data sets and identify significant data amid large volumes of routine information.

Experience:

* Experience in consumer good Marketing or Sales helpful.
* Expertise in how to apply multiple linear regression and exponential smoothing to consumer goods demand models helpful.
* Experience is calculating: price elasticity factor, channel penetration curve, market response coefficient, cannibalization ratio, product segmentation map helpful.
* Experience utilizing Manugistics' Demand Planning software a real plus.

Location: Glendale, CA

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