Demand Planner

Permanent, full-time

About us

DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable fibre-based packaging worldwide, which is supported by recycling and papermaking operations. We play a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods and industrials. Through our purpose of ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’ and our Now and Next sustainability strategy, we are committed to leading the transition to the circular economy, while delivering more circular solutions for our customers and wider society – replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains and providing innovative recycling solutions.

About the role 

As a Demand Planner in our Central Packaging division, you will run demand forecasting processes, build forecasting scenarios and forecast models to support business decision making. In collaboration with the small team of central demand planners and the regional Supply Chain community, you will steer and implement continuous improvement of the Demand Forecasting process. You will establish and maintain supportive relationships with relevant stakeholders, ensuring effective communication of strategic and tactical issues -in Packaging, Paper and Paper Sourcing.

Your remit will include but not limited to:

• Collecting data from internal and external sources on factors known to affect demand. Analysing sales, stock, and other data statistics to learn about historical trends in behavior, enabling patterns identification and make useful forecasts;

• Reviewing historical sales trends, and modeling the data to forecast future demand;

• Obtaining information on occurrences that could impact demand like promotions and production delays;

• Developing demand forecasts at multiple levels of aggregation for multiple time horizons;

• Setting up the system and maintaining parameters to support an optimal forecasting setup and achieving the forecasting objectives (bias and accuracy)

• Reports performance, highlights main gaps, identified root causes and triggers corrective / improvement actions.

About you  

• Educated to a degree level (preferably in Supply Chain), or equivalent experience;

• Previous work experience in a a supply chain environment;

• Strong analytic skills, with high level of attention to detail and accuracy;

• Analysis and problem-solving skills such as the ability to question, accurately identify a need, and present an effective solution;

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;

• Process minded, with a proactive, can-do mentality;

• Affinity for systems and data management;

• Packaging and Paper business knowledge is a plus.

Benefits 

• Competitive salary

• Discretionary bonus

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays

• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Employee Discounts

• Cycle to work scheme

Location: UK - remote or hybrid (London Paddington)