Demand Planning Manager
Location: Newcastle West, Dublin, or Lisburn
Join Ireland’s largest foodservice provider and be part of a team passionate about food and committed to supporting the industry. At Sysco, our nationwide network serves thousands of cafés, restaurants, and bars across the country. While we remain proudly local, being part of Sysco gives you access to global expertise and career development opportunities.
We are seeking a Demand Planning Manager to lead our demand planning function. This role is critical to driving forecast accuracy, product availability, and waste reduction, while supporting strategic growth initiatives. You will manage seasonal and event-based planning, foster collaboration across the business, and contribute to transformation projects. The position also involves leading and developing a high-performing team
Key Responsibilities:
· Lead and develop the demand planning team to deliver KPIs on forecast accuracy, availability, and waste.
· Manage recruitment, performance, and engagement within the team.
· Drive continuous improvement and best practices in forecasting.
· Collaborate cross-functionally with Supply, Marketing, Merchandising, Sales, and Operations.
· Represent demand planning in internal and external meetings and projects.
· Lead or support category and business change initiatives impacting demand planning.
· Conduct root cause analysis on performance issues and implement corrective actions.
· Provide visibility on demand planning performance through reporting and stakeholder updates.
· Act as deputy for the Head of Demand Planning when required
· Manage 1M+ Forecast Entities across a Multi-Echelon Supply Chain Short & Long Term Horizons
· Support Technology Transformation initiatives as Demand SME
Requirements:
· Minimum 5 years’ experience in demand planning or supply chain management within FMCG or a blue-chip environment.
· Strong analytical and numerical skills; advanced Excel required, SQL and Power Query preferred.
· Experience with forecasting tools and techniques; BI and Tableau knowledge advantageous.
· Proven leadership skills with experience in team development and coaching.
· Ability to manage change and work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
· Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
· Highly organised with strong prioritisation and planning abilities.
· Proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.
Core Competencies:
· Agility & Innovation: Adapts to change and introduces creative solutions.
· Collaboration: Builds strong partnerships across functions.
· Execution Focus: Delivers results through structured planning and accountability.
· Resilience: Maintains composure under pressure and supports team wellbeing.
· Inclusive Leadership: Creates an inclusive environment through empathy and open dialogue.
· Customer Focus: Keeps customer needs at the heart of decision-making.
Performance Metrics:
· Forecast Accuracy (WMAPE, BIAS, FVA)
· Waste and FTA budget performance
· Customer Satisfaction (NPS)
· Team engagement, training, and retention
· Contribution to Sysco Speaks engagement scores
· Alignment with Sysco values
Note: Responsibilities may evolve to meet changing business needs.
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