Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an Industry Planner

💰 $85,000 - $145,000

StrategySupply ChainBusiness AnalysisPlanning

🎯 Role Definition

As an Industry Planner, you are the strategic linchpin connecting market intelligence with operational execution. You will be responsible for developing comprehensive industry forecasts, analyzing market trends, and orchestrating the demand and supply plans that drive our business forward. This role requires a unique blend of analytical prowess, business acumen, and collaborative leadership. You will work cross-functionally with sales, marketing, finance, and operations to ensure our strategic plans are both ambitious and achievable, directly influencing our company's profitability and market position. If you are passionate about using data to predict the future and shape business strategy, this is the opportunity for you.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Demand Planner / Supply Planner
  • Business Analyst / Market Analyst
  • Financial Analyst

Advancement To:

  • Senior Industry Planner / Planning Manager
  • Director of Strategic Planning / S&OP Director
  • Head of Supply Chain Management

Lateral Moves:

  • Product Manager
  • Business Development Manager
  • Operations Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and maintain long-range strategic demand forecasts for key product lines and market segments by integrating statistical models with qualitative market intelligence.
  • Lead the monthly Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) cycle, facilitating consensus meetings with senior leadership to align on a single, unified demand and supply plan.
  • Conduct in-depth market research and competitive analysis to identify emerging industry trends, macroeconomic shifts, competitive threats, and untapped growth opportunities.
  • Analyze complex historical sales data, market indicators, customer POS data, and promotional calendars to build and refine highly accurate statistical forecast models.
  • Create and manage robust capacity planning models to ensure alignment between long-term demand forecasts and the capabilities of our manufacturing and supply chain network.
  • Translate complex data sets and analytical findings into actionable insights and compelling strategic recommendations for executive leadership.
  • Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), including forecast accuracy (MAPE, WAPE), inventory turns, on-time delivery, and service levels, driving root cause analysis and corrective actions.
  • Develop and present comprehensive business cases for strategic initiatives such as new product introductions, market entry/exit, channel expansion, or capital investments.
  • Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle planning process, from new product introduction (NPI) to end-of-life (EOL), ensuring smooth transitions and minimal inventory obsolescence.
  • Partner closely with the supply chain and procurement teams to identify potential supply chain vulnerabilities, develop risk mitigation plans, and optimize inventory strategies.
  • Act as the central point of contact and subject matter expert on industry dynamics, providing critical insights and guidance to teams across the organization.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the planning function by evaluating and implementing new tools, technologies, and best-practice processes.
  • Prepare and deliver regular, high-impact presentations on market trends, demand plans, and planning performance to key internal and external stakeholders.
  • Evaluate the financial implications of various demand and supply scenarios to support data-driven decision-making and optimize profitability.
  • Collaborate directly with key customers and sales teams to gather forward-looking intelligence and incorporate customer-specific forecasts into the overall demand plan.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and perform exploratory data analysis to answer critical business questions from leadership.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader data governance strategy and roadmap by championing data quality and accessibility.
  • Collaborate with IT and business intelligence units to translate evolving data needs into clear engineering requirements for new dashboards and reports.
  • Participate in sprint planning, retrospectives, and other agile ceremonies within the data and analytics teams.
  • Mentor junior analysts and planners, providing guidance on forecasting techniques and analytical best practices.
  • Engage with global planning counterparts to ensure the alignment of regional plans with the overarching worldwide corporate strategy.
  • Assess and recommend new technology solutions and advanced planning systems (APS) to enhance planning capabilities and analytical maturity.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced Planning Systems (APS): Hands-on experience with planning software such as SAP IBP, SAP APO, Oracle Demantra, Kinaxis, or o9 Solutions.
  • Data Visualization: Proficiency in creating insightful dashboards and reports using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik Sense.
  • Advanced Excel: Expert-level skills in Excel, including complex formulas, pivot tables, macros, and financial modeling.
  • Statistical Analysis: Strong understanding of statistical forecasting methods (e.g., ARIMA, Exponential Smoothing) and experience with statistical software (R, Python, SAS) is highly desirable.
  • SQL & Databases: Ability to write complex SQL queries to extract and manipulate data from relational databases (e.g., SQL Server, Oracle).
  • ERP Systems: Deep familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, Oracle NetSuite) and their relationship with planning modules.
  • S&OP Process Mastery: Proven expertise in managing and facilitating the end-to-end Sales and Operations Planning process.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic & Critical Thinking: Ability to see the big picture, connect disparate data points, and formulate long-term strategy.
  • Influence & Persuasion: Adept at building consensus and influencing decision-making across different functions and levels of seniority, often without direct authority.
  • Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to distill complex topics into clear, concise, and compelling narratives for an executive audience.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: A natural collaborator who can build strong relationships with stakeholders in sales, marketing, finance, and operations.
  • Analytical & Problem-Solving: A powerful analytical mindset with a structured approach to identifying problems, performing root cause analysis, and developing effective solutions.
  • Business Acumen: Strong understanding of business fundamentals, financial principles, and how planning decisions impact the bottom line.
  • Adaptability & Resilience: Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and can effectively manage ambiguity and competing priorities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree (MBA, M.S. in Supply Chain Management, Data Science, or Economics).
  • Professional certifications such as APICS (CSCP, CPIM) or IBF (CPF) are a significant plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Business Administration
  • Economics / Statistics
  • Engineering
  • Data Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5-8 years of progressive experience in demand planning, supply chain, market analysis, or a related strategic role.

Preferred: Direct experience within a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), technology, manufacturing, or retail industry. Proven track record of leading S&OP processes and driving measurable improvements in forecast accuracy and inventory performance.

Explore More Careers