BUSINESS PLANNER JOB DESCRIPTION

Most professionals who forecast demand can tell you what sold last quarter. A Business Planner tells you what will sell next quarter and why the plan needs to change today. Demand signals, sell-through rates, and inventory turn ratios are the raw inputs; the output is a coherent plan that keeps stock levels lean without triggering stockouts in top-door accounts. Precision matters here because S&OP cycles compress fast and a missed forecast ripples through supply commitments that take weeks to unwind.

As the Business Planner, you own the end-to-end demand and sales forecasting cycle, translating channel-level performance data into supply decisions that protect service levels and margin targets. You work across planning, merchandising, finance, and supply chain functions, with your forecasts forming the analytical backbone of each monthly S&OP review.

Career Impact: Deep ownership of the S&OP process and channel-level forecast accuracy gives Business Planners a quantifiable track record that is directly portable to senior demand planning or commercial finance roles.

Business Impact: Retailers and distribution partners measure fill rate and on-shelf availability in real time, meaning the accuracy of your weekly forecast directly affects whether key accounts receive full orders on time.

Growth Opportunity: Exposure to cross-functional stakeholders in finance, supply chain, and merchandising builds the commercial breadth needed to move into roles such as Senior Demand Planner, Planning Manager, or Commercial Analyst.

• Develop and maintain weekly, monthly, and quarterly demand forecasts by channel and account to guide supply commitments.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and bias at the SKU and account level, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
• Prepare and present demand review inputs for each S&OP cycle, including inventory position, slow movers, and service level deviations.
• Collaborate with sales and merchandising teams to incorporate promotional plans and new product launch assumptions into the forward forecast.
• Analyze sell-through trends and distribution productivity across existing and new doors to surface actionable business risks and opportunities.
• Partner with supply chain and finance teams to align replenishment schedules, inventory targets, and budget assumptions.
• Design and maintain standardized dashboards and trackers that give leadership clear visibility into sales, orders, and inventory performance.
• Communicate forecast risks and upside opportunities to senior stakeholders so the business can respond to emerging trends before they affect service levels.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or equivalent work experience.
• 3 or more years of demand planning, sales planning, or commercial analysis experience, with demonstrated ownership of forecast cycles.
• Proven ability to analyze large data sets and translate findings into concise, decision-ready outputs for cross-functional audiences.
• Strong understanding of S&OP processes, including demand review, inventory management, and supply coordination.
• Experience building and maintaining reporting tools that track KPIs such as forecast accuracy, service level, and inventory turn.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with comfort presenting to directors and senior leadership.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage concurrent planning cycles and meet recurring deadlines without compromising accuracy.

• Experience with statistical forecasting logic or advanced planning systems such as SAP APO or equivalent demand management platforms.
• Familiarity with retail-specific planning metrics including traffic conversion, average dollar transaction, and door-level productivity.
• Exposure to channel-specific supply chain requirements across wholesale, direct-to-consumer, or omnichannel distribution environments.
• Post-graduate qualification in supply chain, operations, or business analytics, or progress toward a supply chain certification.

• Forecast accuracy rate by SKU and channel, measured against the prior-period actuals each S&OP cycle.
• Forecast bias percentage, indicating systematic over- or under-forecasting corrected during monthly review.
• Service level attained for top-door and key-account orders as a percentage of committed volume.
• Inventory turn ratio across managed categories, reflecting how efficiently stock is deployed relative to sales velocity.
• Days of supply on hand versus target, tracking alignment between replenishment schedules and demand plan.
• Typical tools: demand planning platforms (commonly SAP APO or equivalent); BI and reporting (commonly Power BI or D365 Analytics); advanced spreadsheet environments (Excel with pivot tables and statistical functions).

• Base Salary Range: $75,000 to $105,000 per year, depending on experience and market
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus, typically 8 to 12 percent of base salary
• Equity: Equity participation uncommon at this level; offered selectively at senior grades
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer contributes majority of premium
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually, plus standard public holidays
• Common Perks: Hybrid work schedule, professional development budget, and employee discount programs common in retail and CPG environments

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Work authorization in the United States is required as a condition of employment. All candidates who meet the position requirements will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Background screening is conducted as part of the hiring process. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation at any stage of recruitment are encouraged to make that request known so appropriate arrangements can be made.

The Business Planner leads maintenance operations for a manufacturing department, overseeing staffing, budget management, and compliance training while implementing countermeasure tracking systems to prevent issue reoccurrence. Reporting to department leadership and collaborating with engineering teams through Pre-Shift, Post-Shift, and weekly meetings, the role delivers operational continuity and sustained quality standards across the plant.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain awareness of quality standards, communicate department quality goals, and use resources to solve quality issues.
• Understand and consistently administer the Local Agreement.
• Promote safe work practices, follow all safety policies and procedures, and achieve objectives for ergonomics, health, and safety.
• Train, develop, and lead team members on the Global Manufacturing System (GMS) to effectively perform their jobs and foster continuous improvement.
• Provide and lead technical support during emergency breakdowns.
• Coordinate and schedule compliance training for all team members.
• Conduct work order audits, reviews, and follow-up of maintenance activity, implement systems to prevent reoccurrence of known issues, and maintain countermeasure tracking.
• Lead and participate in the Business Plan Deployment process and maintenance throughput improvement meetings, attending Pre-Shift, Post-Shift, and weekly Engineering meetings to communicate Problem Solving Reports and production requests.
• Manage daily staffing to ensure the department is resourced appropriately.
• Complete performance appraisals for direct reports and manage timekeeping and timesheet approvals for salary team members.
• Manage the maintenance budget and forecast for the department.

Required Qualifications

• Two-year degree or professional certification in a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to ensure a safe industrial work environment.
• Interpersonal skills to work effectively with others and motivate and support team members' output.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work autonomously with occasional guidance from leaders and peers.
• Availability to work rotating shifts as required to cover vacation or vacancies on afternoon or midnight shifts.

Embedded within the commercial planning function, the Business Planner develops and implements strategic plans through trend analysis, competitive analysis, and cross-functional team coordination to drive business growth. Working closely with C-level stakeholders and diverse internal and external teams, this role shapes organizational goals by standardizing procedures, monitoring KPIs, and delivering clear, data-driven presentations to the leadership team.

Core Functions

• Develop and implement strategic plans through trend analysis and forecasts.
• Coordinate and administer inter-functional teams to improve the commercial planning methodology.
• Identify opportunities and risks based on market conditions.
• Follow up on process implementations across the organization.
• Develop and implement best practices and learning planning to ensure business growth.
• Track market trends, conduct competitive analysis, and monitor growth projections.
• Identify commercial issues and provide insights for improvement.
• Standardize procedures to administer and record company goals.
• Track and follow up on identified issues, monitor KPIs for success, and support change management.
• Ensure delivery timelines with comprehensive data coverage across all presented projects.
• Support staff teams with resource allocation to ensure operational excellence.
• Deliver concise, precise, and clear information, accessible to all team members.
• Create effective presentations for the leadership team.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in economics, business administration, or a related field.
• Experience in a consultative capacity.
• Experience managing engagement with C-level stakeholders.
• Knowledge of market behavior.
• Proficiency in the Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Excel, and Visio.
• Strong analytical, reasoning, and reflective thinking ability.
• Negotiation and persuasion skills.
• Effective oral and written communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously, with strong time management and discipline.
• Ability to work collaboratively and interact closely with diverse internal and external teams.
• High standards of honesty, integrity, and adherence to professional conduct.
• Advanced proficiency in English and Spanish.

Reporting to supply chain leadership, the Business Planner owns demand planning processes, managing forecast accuracy, S&OP inputs, and inventory monitoring within a cross-functional team environment spanning sales, marketing, and production planning. Partnering with statistical support and supply teams, this role ensures goods availability and service level targets are met through disciplined, data-driven planning.

Primary Duties

• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and project management teams to develop accurate forecasts and run monthly planning meetings.
• Manage demand planning processes, review history and enrichment alerts, and proactively collaborate with the statistical support team.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and bias, and take corrective actions to secure service levels.
• Prepare and execute forecasts for new product initiatives together with marketing and sales teams.
• Prepare inputs for the S&OP process, including demand review, inventory, slow movers, and shelf life, and actively participate in supply reviews and escalation meetings.
• Monitor inventory, stock structure, and slow movers to identify and prevent potential business impacts.
• Monitor service level development at market and top-customer levels, and analyze the largest deviations from target.
• Actively participate in end-customer service level monitoring meetings.
• Cooperate with supply and production planning teams to ensure goods availability on time.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with sales, marketing, and controlling teams.

Skills & Qualifications

• University degree in supply chain, operations management, business administration, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of professional experience in demand, supply, or distribution planning.
• Work experience with operating systems, particularly SAP.
• Demonstrated high analytical and logical thinking skills under time pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to present complex data to audiences at all levels.
• Advanced proficiency in English, including reading, writing, and speaking.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time-management abilities.

Sitting at the intersection of workplace safety and financial management, the Business Planner oversees in-plant vehicle safety protocols, budget reconciliation, and cost performance reporting within a manufacturing plant environment. Operating across cross-functional committees and plant resource groups, this role ensures compliance, accurate payroll administration, and timely leadership reporting that supports both operational safety and financial accountability.

Duties

• Support the Workplace Safety System by overseeing safety standards and performance for in-plant vehicle and transportation safety protocols.
• Co-chair the Plant Pedestrian In-Plant Vehicle Committee.
• Participate in and support regular audits within the department, including manufacturing process validation, safety observations, and compliance audits with external auditors.
• Facilitate the department budget and forecasting process, including presentations and reports to the leadership team on performance results.
• Ensure monthly cost and budget reconciliation is completed, including analysis and countermeasure implementation.
• Create and manage cost and performance reports for the department.
• Administer payroll and provide related reporting.
• Represent the department on various committees and cross-functional plant resource groups.

Requirements

• Two-year degree or professional certification in a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to ensure a safe industrial work environment.
• Interpersonal skills to work effectively with others and motivate and support team members' output.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work autonomously with occasional guidance from leaders and peers.

A key member of the corporate strategy function, the Senior Business Planner identifies and sizes emerging growth opportunities and builds business cases that influence investment decisions, third-party partnerships, and product and marketing direction. Collaborating across marketing, engineering, finance, and data sciences, this role delivers strategic clarity to senior leaders and shapes the organization's long-term path forward.

Functions

• Identify, size, and frame emerging disruptions and strategic growth opportunities, and recommend the right path forward.
• Build business cases to influence investment decisions, third-party partnerships, strategic deals, and product and marketing decisions.
• Synthesize details into an effective story and present to partners at all levels of the organization.
• Lead ongoing primary research to understand trends and use cases, in partnership with product and research teams.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders across marketing, engineering, finance, and data sciences.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Master's degree or MBA preferred.
• Five or more years of experience in strategy consulting, business planning, product marketing, product management, or corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions.
• Working knowledge of various business models and internet consumer behavior is an advantage.
• Ability to frame and structure ambiguous problems into actionable insights.
• Strong track record of identifying new business opportunities with senior leaders and driving organizational change.
• Excellent leadership, collaboration, and communication skills, with the ability to generate buy-in at team and executive levels.
• Passion for technology and a fast-paced work environment.

Continuous improvement in regional service delivery depends on the Business Planner, who leads the implementation of process improvement initiatives, satisfaction surveys, and business intelligence projects across Regional Operations. Serving as the primary link between front-line staff, service pillar leads, and regional leadership, this role develops standardized dashboards and strategic initiative reporting that directly advances customer service outcomes and shareholder requirements.

Accountabilities

• Develop and implement standardized reports and dashboards, and support a reporting system that includes data and performance information on service metrics.
• Implement and evaluate process improvement initiatives across Regional Operations in partnership with front-line staff, service pillar leads, and regional leadership.
• Plan, coordinate, communicate, monitor, and report on the implementation of strategic initiatives, ensuring delivery in accordance with internal, resident, and shareholder requirements.
• Develop recommendations to improve business processes in support of customer service, drawing on research into best practices and current customer service strategies.
• Project manage the delivery of key internal change and service integration projects, including changes to policies, procedures, and business processes to improve customer service.
• Lead development, implementation, and analysis of satisfaction surveys related to service delivery, collecting data to help divisions understand customer satisfaction.
• Lead related business intelligence and data analytics projects for the organization.
• Develop reports, papers, briefing notes, and presentations for internal use and to communicate with stakeholders.

Technical Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in business or public administration, or a related field, with a graduate degree preferred.
• Five years of experience in a large public sector organization in one or more of the following areas: policy analysis or development, performance measurement, customer service and experience strategies, market research, or strategic planning.
• Proficiency with computerized business applications, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database software.
• Proven ability to analyze and interpret data and prepare reports and statements.
• Excellent project management, conflict resolution, and organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.

As the Business Planner, this role owns the financial planning and reporting process, coordinating business assumptions, consolidating financial results, and developing digital financial solutions that improve budgeting and decision-making across a multinational organization. The finance team relies on this work to ensure accurate, reliable analysis and reporting that aligns with US GAAP standards and meets both operational and management reporting requirements.

Activities

• Assist in coordinating and guiding the financial planning and reporting process, ensure correct use of business assumptions, consolidate financial results, analyze key trends, and provide meaningful analysis to management.
• Work alongside business counterparts to co-pilot solution creation for business problems and execute relevant analysis to support decision-making.
• Ensure steady allocation of resources throughout the organization via the budgeting process for operating expenses.
• Support the identification and implementation of solutions to issues and improvements to processes relating to budget planning and reporting.
• Take ownership of the development and implementation of digital financial solutions to meet business needs and improve processes.
• Prepare accurate and reliable financial analyses and reports that meet established standards and management reporting requirements.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or CPA designation, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in forecasting and reporting or business development roles in a multinational organization, of which at least 3 years are in finance.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Excellent command of MS Office applications.
• Experience with SAP and US GAAP is an asset.
• Proactive approach with the ability to work in dynamic and uncertain environments, with strong problem-solving competencies.
• Strong analytical thinking and the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities with a high level of customer focus.
• Ability to work and interact with people at all levels of the organization.
• Commercial finance partner experience is an advantage.

Business Planner leads sales forecasting, data transformation, and cross-functional reporting across product lines, accounts, and supply chain functions within a commercial business environment. Success in the position means delivering actionable analysis and clear communication to sales directors, finance, and corporate stakeholders to drive financial efficiency and minimize risk across the annual budget and quarterly forecast cycles.

Operational Focus

• Analyze and forecast sales targets, including volume and distribution, on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, and provide direction to maximize financial efficiency and minimize risk.
• Work with cross-functional teams to design, maintain, and monitor reports and trackers related to sales, orders, and inventory.
• Create and provide projections, analysis, and forecast direction to support decision-making.
• Transform data into actionable, easy-to-read output to drive business decisions, insights, and outcomes.
• Design sales tools to support clear communication between the sales and corporate teams.
• Facilitate the annual budget and quarterly forecast processes by planning and coordinating with sales directors and cross-functional teams to meet key deliverables and deadlines.
• Work cross-functionally with finance, supply chain, and business analytics teams.
• Conduct and provide analysis of key performance indicators across product lines and accounts.
• Monitor and analyze sales trends, distribution, and productivity for new and existing doors.
• Work with sales operations, demand planning, and inventory planning to research and implement channel-specific supply chain requirements and streamlining opportunities.
• Monitor and analyze sales performance for channel-specific sales incentive programs.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, economics, or engineering.
• Four or more years of experience in business planning, finance, or a sales analyst role.
• Familiarity with SAP.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and critically while balancing execution of programs and projects.
• Strong initiative and sense of urgency, with the ability to meet high performance expectations.
• Ability to solve problems that may involve multiple departments.
• Strong communication skills and ability to present to key stakeholders with confidence.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Proven consultative and influencing skills for working with senior business stakeholders.
• Strong customer service focus and interpersonal skills.

The Business Planner develops healthcare product and service concepts, defining business models, managing product roadmaps, and driving the full product lifecycle from ideation through vendor negotiation within an agile, innovation-focused environment. Reporting to the business and engineering development teams, this role advances the organization's healthcare market position by delivering projects on time and within scope, drawing on expertise in digital health technology and Japanese healthcare regulations.

Key Deliverables

• Define or support the definition of service and product concepts and business models by gathering and analyzing healthcare business needs and innovative opportunities from internal and external sources.
• Develop user experience values, product and service concepts, business strategy, and product roadmaps using evolving software solutions.
• Drive and coordinate the entire product lifecycle.
• Set up or support the setup of project deliverables and risk evaluation, and ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget.
• Execute the project plan promptly while monitoring and tracking progress.
• Work with the business team and engineering development team.
• Manage vendor and partner relationships, and work collaboratively with vendors and partners to improve offerings and manage negotiations.

Professional Experience

• Master's, Ph.D., or MBA in a relevant field.
• Three or more years of working experience in the healthcare industry.
• Experience in new business planning and launch in the healthcare market, including defining and creating requirement documents such as PRDs and improving products in an agile way.
• Experience as a product or service leader in manufacturing or software companies, including product and service design from a user-experience approach.
• Familiarity with clinical trials, digital health tools, employee health management, and Japanese healthcare system regulations and industry.
• Knowledge of managing healthcare real-world data, data science, machine learning, and digital health technology.
• Excellent proactive communication skills, with strategic and foresight thinking.
• Flexible, nimble, and self-learning behaviors suited to agile development, with the ability to bring positive energy to the team.
• Business-level proficiency in English and Japanese.

Embedded within the engineering operations function, the Business Planner develops management presentations, financial analyses, and global headcount reporting to support organizational planning and staffing strategy across multiple engineering center sites worldwide. Working closely with senior management, Water Manager stakeholders, and cross-regional teams, this role produces timely business intelligence, including on-time delivery and utilization reporting, that enables informed decision-making at every level of the organization.

Areas of Ownership

• Work closely with managers and directors to set up, implement, and follow up on business reporting and financial asset analysis.
• Develop management presentations using information gathered from all business levels.
• Provide financial information to the local site on project status and administrative processes.
• Provide business-level information and specific reports to management to facilitate organizational planning and staffing strategy.
• Coordinate maintenance and promote use of best-cost engineering center sites.
• Participate in developing metrics to measure productivity and efficiency.
• Suggest and develop improvements for processes.
• Provide project variability data to the Water Manager to support business decision-making.
• Track utilization and headcount for all engineering center sites and provide diverse reporting to management for business decisions.
• Further collaboration among centers across the globe.
• Prepare on-time delivery reporting for North America and sales reports.
• Report world area headcount for all offices worldwide.

Education & Experience

• Business degree in business administration or industrial engineering, with an MBA as an advantage.
• Six or more years of experience in data analysis, finance, or planning roles.
• Proven experience working with senior management.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, and Power BI.
• Excellent communication skills with full proficiency in English, both spoken and written.
• Financial analysis capabilities.
• Strong database management skills, including the ability to manipulate and analyze large datasets.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet aggressive deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills.

Reporting to retail leadership, the Business Planner develops daily and monthly forecasts, builds store reporting through D365 and Power BI, and monitors retail KPIs, including traffic, conversion, and average dollar transaction, to support strategic action planning. Partnering with fulfillment teams and cross-functional stakeholders, this role drives financial goal attainment by communicating risks and opportunities and delivering informative, trend-driven business analysis.

Role Responsibilities

• Collaborate with D365 and Power BI teams to build out daily, weekly, and monthly store reporting.
• Run daily and weekly sales reporting to aid in business analysis and strategy development, and report results to cross-functional teams.
• Support the monthly forecasting review process, actualizing the previous month and inputting revised sales, margin, units, and inventory turn by month, week, and day.
• Build daily forecasts and provide monthly reforecasts by KPI, including traffic, conversion, and average dollar transaction.
• Communicate risks and opportunities to key stakeholders to react to business trends and reach financial goals.
• Create informative and actionable reporting that highlights relevant business trends.
• Analyze reports and understand sales metrics across different perspectives to drive strategic action plans.
• Conduct business case studies for store productivity and possible door expansion.
• Communicate regularly with fulfillment teams to anticipate impacts to the business.

Background & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least three to five years of experience as a planner or in an equivalent role.
• Experience with Enterprise Planning, Power BI, and Microsoft D365 is an advantage.
• Strong understanding of retail KPIs and Excel formulas, including VLOOKUP and pivot tables.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills.
• Computer proficiency in MS Office, including Excel, Outlook, and Word.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills in support of a team environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Excellent time management and project management skills.
• Strong planning and organizational skills with a sense of priority for deadlines and attention to detail.

Sitting at the intersection of supply chain management and commercial strategy, the Business Planner advances innovation programs, eliminates process losses across the supply network, and manages supplier relationships to execute technical and commercial agreements that best meet business needs. Operating across internal partner teams and external supplier companies, this role ensures forecast inputs are validated, equipment standards are defined, and sourcing strategies align with emerging requirements for sustainable business growth.

Job Functions

• Lead innovation programs based on commercial and technical learning plans and success criteria.
• Contribute to and provide leadership for inventory reduction strategies.
• Drive operational excellence within standard work processes.
• Identify, prioritize, and eliminate process losses across the supply network.
• Build process capability and control, and define equipment standards.
• Work with internal partners and manage supplier companies to develop and execute commercial and technical agreements that best meet business needs.
• Identify and interpret new and emerging requirements that will affect future sourcing strategies.
• Validate forecast inputs for reasonableness based on experience and market drivers, and influence inputs to deliver efficient plans.

Qualifications & Experience

• Two to five years of experience in supply chain, demand planning, or product supply.
• Minimum credit average across university results.
• Strong experience leading others at work, in sporting teams, student societies, or clubs.
• Strong analytical mindset, with the ability to think strategically and cultivate innovation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse groups of people.
• Passion for the broader community and a desire to contribute to it.