Vice President of Demand & Supply Planning – Retail Operations - 19154

The Headhunters have partnered with one of the largest specialized retailers across Canada to add a Vice President of Demand & Supply Planning to their growing team. They have multiple locations across the country and offer a wide range of products, sourced internally within their organization, as well as externally.

Note:
although Head Office is in British Columbia, for the right individual, a remote option will be considered.

Vice President of Demand & Supply Planning Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, the VP of Demand & Supply Planning is responsible for integrating all aspects of demand forecasting, inventory control, supply chain management, and cross-functional coordination to ensure the efficient flow of goods in the organization, optimizing both customer satisfaction and profitability.

This a critical leadership role that ensures the alignment of supply with consumer demand, optimizing the flow of products from suppliers to customers while maintaining inventory efficiency and minimizing costs. Key responsibilities associated with this role:

1. Strategic Planning and Forecasting

• Demand Forecasting:
  Lead the creation and execution of demand forecasts using historical sales data, market trends, promotional plans, and seasonal demand patterns.
• Supply Planning:
  Oversee the development of supply plans to ensure the organization can meet demand while minimizing overstocking or stockouts.
• Data Analysis:
  Leverage analytics and advanced forecasting tools to anticipate market trends, customer behavior, and demand fluctuations.

2. Inventory Management

• Inventory Optimization:
  Ensure efficient management of inventory levels across multiple locations (stores, warehouses, distribution centers), balancing stock levels with demand.
• Stock Replenishment:
  Oversee the timely replenishment of stock to meet demand without incurring excess inventory or carrying costs.
• Safety Stock Management:
  Establish appropriate safety stock levels to buffer against supply chain disruptions, ensuring continuous product availability.

3. Supply Chain Coordination

• Supplier and Vendor Management:
  Collaborate with suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of goods.
• Lead Time Management:
  Work with the procurement team to optimize lead times and reduce the gap between product demand and supply.
• Logistics Optimization:
  Partner with the logistics and distribution teams to ensure cost-effective and on-time delivery of products.

4. Collaboration Across Departments

• Cross-functional Collaboration:
  Work closely with sales, marketing, merchandising, finance, and operations teams to align demand and supply plans with business objectives.
• Promotions and Marketing Coordination:
  Ensure demand plans account for upcoming marketing campaigns, promotions, and seasonal peaks to avoid inventory issues.

5. Performance Monitoring and Reporting

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
  Establish and track KPIs related to demand forecasting accuracy, inventory turnover, stockout rates, and fill rates.
• Continuous Improvement:
  Analyze supply chain performance, identify inefficiencies or gaps, and drive initiatives for improvement in demand and supply planning processes.

6. Technology and Systems Management

• Planning Software Management:
  Oversee the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, demand planning software, and inventory management tools to optimize planning processes.
• Automation and Innovation:
  Identify opportunities for the automation of forecasting, replenishment, and supply chain functions to increase efficiency and reduce errors.

7. Team Leadership and Development

• Leadership:
  Lead, mentor, and develop teams of demand planners, supply planners, and analysts, ensuring they have the tools, skills, and knowledge needed to succeed.
• Change Management:
  Drive change in planning processes to adapt to evolving business needs, customer expectations, and market conditions.

8. Budget and Financial Oversight

• Budget Management:
  Collaborate with finance to manage budgets related to inventory, logistics, and supply chain operations, ensuring cost-effectiveness without compromising product availability.
• Cost Control:
  Implement strategies to reduce operational costs, such as optimizing transportation, warehouse storage, and inventory handling.

9. Risk Management

• Supply Chain Risk Mitigation:
  Identify potential risks related to supply chain disruptions (e. g. , supplier delays, geopolitical factors, natural disasters) and develop contingency plans to address these issues.
• Crisis Management:
  Manage response strategies during supply chain or demand fluctuations, ensuring minimal impact on operations and customer satisfaction.

10. Customer Experience and Satisfaction

• Customer-Focused Planning:
  Ensure that demand and supply planning efforts align with customer expectations, improving product availability and delivery performance.
• Service Level Management:
  Establish and monitor service levels, ensuring that the organization consistently meets customer demand while controlling inventory costs.

The successful candidate has:

• Bachelor's degree; ideally in engineering, statistics, mathematics or economics.
• 10+ years in a similar leadership function
• Proven leadership skills - experience building and managing high performing teams
• Past success operating in an extremely fast paced rapidly changing environment/industry.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders in marketing, sales and supply chain.
• Experienced in Production and Supply Chain processes.
• Ability to manage complex data and simplify into key insights.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Agile and hands-on detailed orientated analyst enjoys building models.
• Proven analytical & mathematical thinking, and adept at solving complex problems.
• Used to fast-paced multi-sku industries, with innovation pipelines and complex supply chains.
• Previous experience in a highly regulated industry (food, pharma, etc)

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary ranging from $150,000-225,000 , depending on experience with bonus and benefits
• Opportunity to lead during a significant growth period
• Collaborative and inclusive work environment
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities

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