Forecast Planning Manager jobs in Kansas City, MO

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! 

A day in the life…

As the Demand Planning Manager, you are responsible for forecasting and managing the demand for everyday and seasonal products and ensuring that the supply chain is optimized to meet the customer’s needs. You will work closely with sales, marketing, finance, and the operations teams to analyze historical data, market trends, and customer feedback to develop accurate and timely demand plans. You will also monitor and report on the performance of the demand planning process and implement continuous improvement initiatives.

What you will be doing…

• Lead the development and execution of the demand planning process.
• Develop statistical forecast models based on industry trends and demand patterns.
• Develop statistical forecast modeling capability within IBP.
• Create tailored statistical forecasting models for individual product groupings across Russell Stover Chocolate’s Everyday and Seasonal product portfolios.
• Propose and implement solutions to improve demand forecast accuracy.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather and validate inputs for the demand planning process, such as sales forecasts, marketing plans, customer orders, inventory levels, and production capacity.
• Use statistical models, data analysis, and scenario planning to generate accurate and realistic demand plans that align with the company's strategic and financial objectives.
• Communicate the demand plans to the relevant stakeholders and ensure alignment and consensus across the organization.
• Track and measure the accuracy and effectiveness of the demand plans and provide regular feedback and reports to the management and the teams.
• Identify and resolve any issues or gaps in the demand planning process and propose solutions and recommendations for improvement.
• Lead key projects for supply chain departments such as FG waste and excess projects.

Do you have what it takes? 

(Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, statistics, or related field or equivalent work experience.
• A minimum of five (5) years experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and proficiency in using data analysis tools and software.
• 2-3 years experience in using the statistical modeling program in IBP software.
• Extensive knowledge of different forecasting models such as Qualitative vs Quantitative models, time-series forecasting models, causal models, etc., and their proper application.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills and ability to work effectively with different teams and levels of the organization.
• Knowledge of demand planning methodologies, processes, and systems (SAP preferred).

Do you stand above the rest? 

(Preferred Qualifications)

• High attention to detail and accuracy and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Certification in demand planning supply chain, or related field is a plus.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.