Senior Demand Planning Analyst

About the role

In this role, you analyze market signals for North American demand and translate them into accurate forecasts, owning the plan from initial intake through final execution. You balance enterprise QSR patterns against project hardware timelines and seasonal variations to ensure alignment with market realities. You serve as a critical contributor to the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, working closely with Account Management, Finance, Supply Chain, and Customer Success to drive cohesion. You translate sales signals, including leads, opportunities, and pipeline intelligence, combined with historical trends, into actionable demand plans that support strategic decision-making and operational execution. You are accountable for developing, maintaining, and continuously enhancing the demand forecast for North America in a complex environment. This role is vital for enabling precise demand and supply planning, optimizing inventory, and ensuring revenue predictability. You will guide revisions during review sessions, challenge assumptions, and clearly explain forecast outcomes and trade-offs to influence partner decisions. Through diligence, commitment, and creativity, you will help the business navigate project-based hardware deployments and drive industry-leading execution.

Key facts

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Location: USA

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Engagement: Full-time, Permanent

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Compensation: $92,000.00 USD per year

What you'll do

• Assess intake data to shape initial demand views for upcoming cycles and identify key drivers of variability.
• Design forecast models that account for enterprise QSR behavior, project hardware deployments, and seasonal fluctuations across the region.
• Challenge assumptions by comparing pipeline intelligence against historical trends to validate the reasonableness of demand signals.
• Coordinate with supply chain teams to align inventory targets with revenue predictability goals and ensure feasibility.
• Guide revisions during S&OP review sessions to maintain alignment with evolving market signals and business priorities.
• Synchronize with partners in Account Management and Customer Success to ensure execution timelines match hardware rollout schedules.
• Validate ship readiness by checking constraints and capacity before finalizing weekly plans and commitments.
• Translate complex analytical findings into clear narratives to explain forecast outcomes and trade-offs to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Influence partner decisions by presenting data-driven recommendations and supporting strategic discussions with clarity and confidence.
• Maintain and enhance forecast accuracy over time by incorporating feedback loops and refining models based on actual outcomes.
• Serve as the analytical backbone for North America within the global S&OP process, ensuring consistency and transparency.
• Monitor leading indicators and market dynamics to proactively adjust plans and mitigate potential supply or demand risks.
• Support scenario planning exercises to evaluate the financial and operational impact of alternative demand strategies.
• Document forecasting methodologies and assumptions to ensure reproducibility and knowledge transfer.
• Collaborate with global counterparts to incorporate regional insights into broader demand and supply strategies.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance forecast reliability and streamline planning workflows.
• Champion data integrity and governance to ensure decisions are based on accurate, timely, and consistent information.
• Act as a subject matter expert within the planning function, mentoring peers and junior analysts on best practices.

Requirements

• You must manage enterprise QSR customer dynamics within a project-based hardware environment and understand the associated complexities.
• Your experience should encompass seasonality patterns and demand planning for complex portfolios across multiple channels.
• You are required to report findings, insights, and recommendations to the Senior S&OP Manager for North America in a structured and timely manner.
• A background of 3-5 years in similar analytical planning roles within demand planning, supply planning, or related fields is necessary.
• You must be able to work full-time in Chicago, IL, and comply with the employment terms of a permanent position.
• You should have the right to work in the United States without sponsorship, as no visa support is provided for this role.
• You must demonstrate strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to interpret data accurately.
• You are expected to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and communicate clearly at all levels of the organization.
• You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities and tight deadlines.
• You should have a proven track record of owning end-to-end planning processes and delivering reliable forecasts.
• You must adhere to company policies, procedures, and governance standards in all planning activities.
• You should be willing to participate in regular S&OP cycles, including pre-meetings, reviews, and follow-up actions.
• You must manage competing priorities and balance short-term execution with long-term strategic planning objectives.
• You should be able to translate business requirements into actionable plans that align with financial and operational goals.
• You must maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive business information with integrity and professionalism.
• You should be willing to support special projects or ad hoc analyses as requested by leadership and cross-functional partners.
• You must use a structured approach to problem-solving and root cause analysis when addressing forecast variances.
• You should be committed to continuous learning and adapting to new tools, methods, and industry best practices.

Nice to have

No specific additional qualifications are specified.

Practical notes

• Please ensure you are able to work full-time in Chicago, IL, and meet the requirements of a permanent employment engagement.
• No visa sponsorship is available for this role, and candidates must have the necessary authorization to work in the United States.
• The listed compensation reflects the target base salary for this position in this location.
• This role operates within the standard full-time schedule expected of Coates Group employees.
• Travel is not expected as part of this role based on the current description.
• This job description outlines the general nature and level of work performed and does not constitute an exhaustive list of responsibilities.
• The job title and scope may evolve as the business needs change and the individual grows within the role.
• Coates Group is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes diverse candidates to join our global crew.