Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagram and  LinkedIn.

Job Description

Integrated Business Planning (IBP) Demand Planner, Plastics Additives will be located in Shanghai, China at the Milliken Asia Headquarters and will report to the Global IBP/Demand Leader and dotted line to Asia Business Director.

Job Overview

As the Demand Planner they will maintain a constant relationship with the sales, marketing, finance, sourcing and manufacturing teams to understand the demand forecasting drivers.  Carry out research and analysis to develop forecast models to help shape the demand plan.  Challenge the forecasts from the sales teams and the usual runs (historical data, seasonality, market trends, special offers, budgets…) with relevant data analysis.  Improve the forecasts accuracy with transversal coordination actions and updates of the IBP tool.  Communicate the product inventory strategies (high runners, new products, substitutions, end life…) to the Supply Planning team.  Tune the forecasts and inventory rules according to the demand and market trends.  Analyze quantity and financial forecasts.  Report of Demand KPIs.  Drive the Demand Plans for IBP meetings.  Follow inventory level and improvement plans. Drive convergences and divergences versus the Business Plan revenue, margin dollars and strategy.

Primary Role and Responsibilities

This role is focused on more tactical, operational and process-oriented execution of the Demand Review of the IBP process. They are the person that keeps participants in the process on track and moving toward resolution of demand and supply plans for the defined cadence. Responsibilities span the following categories:

• Process Facilitation which includes Demand Reviews, NPI road maps, Meeting preparation, Meeting facilitation, Meeting follow-up
• Impact Assessment and Improvement which includes tracking key metrics & improving the process
• Information Coordination
• Analysis and Insight
• Manage the demand planning monthly process
• Demand analytics
• Information, Communication and Coordination
• Impact Assessment and Improvement

Job Requirements

Education: The Demand Planner will have a college degree in business administration, supply chain management (SCM) or related technical discipline or commiserate experience.

Behavioral Competencies

Given the complex nature of the process and relationships within organizations' IBP initiatives, it is essential that the Demand Planner exhibit high levels of professionalism. Since the process usually spans multiple organizational groups with differing priorities, the coordinator must be adept at fostering relationships and trust in the process and outcomes. The core behavioral competencies must include:

• Relationship building — The ability to build rapport, understanding and trust with all key stakeholders through ongoing dialogue and delivering results.
• Communication — A proven ability to communicate with stakeholders across the organization, including listening to multiple viewpoints and their relevance to the success of IBP outcomes.
• Conflict management — Understands organizational "hot spots" and focuses diverse groups on common organizational outcomes. Fosters productive dialogue and manages high-tension situations with diplomacy and tact to maintain credibility and influence.
• Collaboration/team dynamics — Skilled at working with teams of people with disparate opinions and agendas to develop common outcomes, strategies and plans. Builds sense of team goals, focusing team toward those ends, while balancing trade-offs in each stakeholder community.
• Detail orientation — Focused on ensuring that all data and activities are managed at an appropriate level of detail to ensure an accurate demand and supply plan.
• Process orientation — Understanding the connection between groups and activities, and the ability to organize people and activities to achieve expected outcomes. Insight into opportunities to simplify and integrate process steps to maximum effect.

Skills: The nature of the Demand Planner role leads to the need for a set of skills that are technical, as well as analytical. These skills may be achieved through experience and formal training or certification programs. Some of the critical skills desired include:

• Analysis
• Forecast methodologies
• Scenario planning
• Project management
• Technology
• Facilitation
• Presentation
• Broad knowledge and relationships across organization (commercial, sales, product development, finance, manufacturing
• Deep knowledge in planning processes – demand, supply, NPD, material planning, IBP (Integrated Business Planning), ITP (Integrated Tactical Planning), SIOP, S&OE
• Statistical understanding & Strong analytical skills

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.