Job Description
POSITION SUMMARY
This role is responsible for leading the demand planning and sales forecasting processes for the LATAM region. The Demand Planning Manager combines analytical expertise with cross-functional collaboration to develop accurate demand forecasts based on sales pipeline analysis, historical data, seasonality, and market trends. This position serves as the critical link between Sales and Operations, translating commercial inputs into actionable demand signals that drive the Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning (SIOP) process. The role requires a deep understanding of the Lead to Post Sales cycle and the ability to synthesize structured and unstructured data into reliable forecasts that enable executive decision-making and resource allocation across the region.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Demand Planning & Forecasting:
- Develop demand forecasts based on sales pipeline data, historical performance, seasonality patterns, and market trends, consolidating inputs from multiple Enterprise Resource Planning systems (Oracle, SAP) and sales tools (VertivWeb).
- Analyze the sales funnel including leads, opportunities, conversion rates, deal size, and sales cycle length to project future demand using probability-weighted opportunities and expected close timelines.
- Lead the monthly orders and sales forecast process, consolidating actuals information plus backlog and future orders to elaborate a proposal for the executive team to discuss and adjust. This includes combining structured data from Enterprise Resource Planning systems with non-structured data from Sales teams (risks, upsides, shortfalls).
- Collaborate with Sales Directors, Key Account Managers, and segment leaders to validate forecast assumptions, gather market intelligence, and align on demand expectations.
- Support the commercial forecasting process and translate sales inputs into demand signals for Supply Chain and Operations teams.
Performance Monitoring & Analytics:
- Monitor and analyze gaps between pipeline, forecast, and actual sales results, identifying root causes of variances and recommending corrective actions.
- Build, track, and report Key Performance Indicators including forecast accuracy, pipeline coverage, win rate, and forecast bias, ensuring visibility for leadership decision-making.
- Develop "what-if" scenarios to support commercial and strategic decisions, including sensitivity analysis for different market conditions and business assumptions.
- Create and automate dashboards and reports for pipeline and demand visibility, leveraging Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) and other data visualization tools.
Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning (SIOP) & Cross-functional Integration:
- Lead the Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning (SIOP) process from the Sales perspective, ensuring demand signals are accurately captured and communicated to Operations and Supply Chain.
- Engage with regional and global teams on demand planning initiatives, including Americas Sales Operations, Global Operations, and Business Unit planning teams.
- Support the Top Line budget definition process by providing demand-based inputs and historical trend analysis to inform annual planning targets.
Minimum Job Qualifications:
- Minimum 5 years of proven experience performing planning, demand forecasting, strategy, or sales-related support activities.
- Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, and Finance teams.
- Strong analytical skills with experience in data consolidation from multiple sources.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning (SIOP) / Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) processes.
- Experience in manufacturing or technology industries.
- Knowledge of statistical forecasting methods and demand planning best practices.
- Proven track record of improving forecast accuracy in a regional or multi-country environment.
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
Minimum:
- Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Economics, or related field degree.
- Fluent English skills.
Preferred / Desirable:
- Specialization in Sales, Data Science, or Operations Research.
Required Tools / Systems Knowledge:
- Must be up to date on relevant Information Technology tools, including but not limited to the full Microsoft Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project, Visio, Outlook).
- Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) for dashboard creation and data visualization.
- Oracle Enterprise Business Suite and/or SAP for data extraction and reporting.
- Understanding of database structures, cloud environments, and data management principles.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- No Special Physical Requirements
ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS
- No Special Environmental Demands
TRAVEL TIME REQUIRED
15%