Demand Planner

Job Title: Demand Planner

Job status: Full-time employee, Exempt Salary

Department: Materials / Supply Chain

Reports to: Supply Chain Manager

Demand Planner

Summary / Objective

The Demand Planner is responsible for developing, analyzing, and maintaining accurate demand forecasts that drive production planning, inventory management, and on-time delivery performance. This role translates customer forecasts, blanket purchase orders, order history, and sales input into a reliable demand signal used across Master Scheduling, Inventory Planning, and Purchasing.

In addition to forecasting responsibilities, the Demand Planner owns customer order entry and maintenance, manages sublet vendor and outside-processing component purchasing and tracking, and serves as a backup shipper. This role also maintains regular, direct communication with customers on order status, due dates, and requirements. Working closely with the Supply Chain Manager, Master Scheduler, and Inventory Planner, this role balances forecast accuracy, order accuracy, and on-time delivery in a make-to-order, high-mix precision machining environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain demand forecasts by customer, part number, and product family, using historical sales data, customer forecasts/blankets, releases, and direct input from Sales and customers.
• Analyze demand trends, seasonality, and variability; identify and proactively communicate significant shifts in demand to the Supply Chain Manager, Master Scheduler, and Inventory Planner.
• Reconcile customer forecasts and blanket purchase order releases against actual usage and consumption; investigate and resolve discrepancies directly with customers and Sales.
• Enter and maintain customer sales orders, blanket releases, and ship dates within the ERP system, ensuring quantities, due dates, and pricing are accurate to support planning, production, and shipping.
• Maintain standard daily, weekly, and monthly reporting on customer orders and order status, including due dates, recovery dates for delayed orders, and quantity or schedule changes, keeping customers and internal teams informed.
• Issue purchase orders for, and track, sublet vendor and outside-processing components (e.g., heat treat, plating, and other secondary processes performed off-site), expediting as needed to support the production and shipping schedule.
• Serve as backup shipper, supporting packing lists, bills of lading, and carrier coordination during peak periods, absences, or staffing gaps.
• Partner with the Master Scheduler and Inventory Planner to translate the demand plan into an executable production schedule, ensuring alignment between forecast, capacity, and material planning.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and bias and drive continuous improvement in forecasting methods, assumptions, and tools.
• Maintain and update demand planning data within the ERP/MRP system, including forecasts, finished goods safety stock levels, and planning parameters.
• Support new program launches and customer demand ramp-ups or ramp-downs with appropriate planning and order adjustments.
• Communicate proactively with cross-functional teams (Sales, Master Scheduling, Inventory Planning, Purchasing, Shipping, Quality), and directly with customers, to ensure orders and demand signals are understood and actioned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong analytical and quantitative skills; comfortable working with large data sets in Excel (pivot tables, formulas, forecasting functions).
• Working knowledge of demand planning and forecasting methodologies (e.g., statistical forecasting, moving averages, trend and seasonality analysis).
• Understanding of how demand planning integrates with production and inventory planning.
• Experience with customer order entry/management and comfort working directly in an ERP order module.
• Basic understanding of purchasing/vendor coordination, particularly for outside processing or sublet operations, helpful.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present information clearly to customers, cross-functional teams, and leadership.
• Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail, particularly with order accuracy and due dates.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-mix manufacturing environment.
• Comfortable interfacing directly with customers and sales representatives to gather and validate order and forecast information.
• General understanding of manufacturing/machining processes and basic shipping/logistics familiarity helpful; willingness to learn precision machining terminology (screw machines, CNC, Swiss-type, secondary operations).
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective cross-functional working relationships.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum 2-4 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, customer order management, or a related supply chain role.
• In lieu of a degree, 5 or more years of relevant, progressive supply chain/materials experience will be considered.
• ERP/MRP system experience required; experience with shop-floor ERP systems (e.g., E2/Shoptech, JobBOSS, Global Shop Solutions, Epicor, Estitrack or similar) preferred.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment strongly preferred; job-shop, make-to-order, or precision machining background a plus.
• APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP) a plus.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel; experience with forecasting or demand planning software a plus.

Work Environment / Physical Demands

• Work is performed primarily in an office setting adjacent to an active machine shop floor.
• Occasional time on the production floor or in shipping to gather information or provide backup coverage; may be exposed to elevated noise, coolant/oil mist, metal chips, and moving machinery. Appropriate PPE (safety glasses, hearing protection) is required when on the floor.
• Primarily sedentary role with occasional standing and walking; occasional lifting up to 25 lbs, more when providing backup shipping support.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability (STD) Insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays

RW Screw LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job description describes the general nature of the role and is not an exhaustive list of duties; responsibilities may be modified as business needs require.