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For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s®, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli® to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.

Sr. Demand Planner

Work Location: Chicago

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

As a Senior Planner, Demand Planning, you will be the key decision-maker for demand planning in our customer forecast plan. This individual contributor role is crucial to driving accurate, strategic demand forecasts that impact the entire organization. You'll work closely with Sales, Marketing, Supply Planning, and other cross-functional teams to develop and maintain demand plans that support the overall business goals.

Ways you will make a difference

Develop, maintain, and refine 36-month demand forecasts, complementing the Sales team's 18-month forecast.
Review statistical forecast outputs and incorporate insights from sales and market intelligence to ensure accuracy.
Analyze historical sales trends, demand drivers, and use statistical models to inform forecasts.
Understand and incorporate foundational building blocks of demand forecasts, such as store facings, store count, and product sales rates, to ensure forecasts align with market size and realities.
Validate demand forecasts by leveraging calculations using metrics such as sell-through rates, distribution coverage, and market penetration.
Collaborate with Sales to gather essential inputs, including promotional plans, customer forecasts, and new product introductions, ensuring these are accurately reflected in the demand plan.
Integrate external market intelligence, such as competitor activities, economic indicators, and category trends, to fine-tune forecasts.
Analyze and interpret a wide range of data sources, including historical sales, customer behavior, and market conditions, to improve the reliability of demand forecasts.
Track and improve forecast KPIs such as accuracy, bias, forecast value add, and fill rate.
Lead and facilitate monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) meetings, ensuring a collaborative planning approach with internal teams.
Coordinate with Sales, Marketing, and Finance to reconcile variances and ensure alignment of demand forecasts.
Provide input to Supply Planning on inventory strategies for existing products, new launches, and product phase-outs.
Confront and challenge forecast assumptions by identifying inaccuracies, using data-backed arguments to validate corrections.
Actively question the “why” behind forecast inputs, ensuring assumptions are rigorously examined and supported by relevant data.

Skills that will make you successful

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (vlookups, pivot tables) and PowerPoint.
Strong working knowledge of SAP IBP, SAP APO, Tableau, Power BI, Power Query, BOBJ, and Circana/IRI data.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to handle large datasets and derive actionable insights.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for effective collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and a high tolerance for ambiguity.

Experiences that will support your success

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum of 3 years of experience in Demand Planning or data analytics.
Knowledge of the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes.
Experience working within the food & beverage or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry is preferred.

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Candy-2025-OE-QR

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $80,325 to $112,455 annually.

Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.

Nearest Major Market: Chicago