Forecasting Specialist - Walmart

CREATIVITY IS OUR SUPERPOWER. It’s our heritage and it’s also our future. Because we don’t just make toys. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire fans, entertain audiences and develop children through play. Mattel is at its best when every member of our team feels respected, included, and heard—when everyone can show up as themselves and do their best work every day.

We value and share an infinite range of ideas and voices that evolve and broaden our perspectives with a reach that extends into all our brands, partners, and suppliers.

The Sales Planning & Analytics team partners with internal and external partners to plan & execute future sales demand. We are focused on identifying weekly POS trends and seasonality to predict future performance. Additionally, we provide a consumption based ship and order plan to ensure we can support consumer demand  part of this, we are also involved in end to end commercial execution;

helping drive order management, transportation, and omni channel performance.

Mattel is seeking a highly analytical and customer-focused Specialist, Sales Planning & Analysis (SPA), to support one of our most strategic retail partnerships—Walmart.

In this role, you'll serve as a key link between Mattel and Walmart, leveraging data-driven insights to influence forecasting, inventory management, and business planning decisions. You'll work directly with Walmart buyers, replenishment teams, and internal cross-functional partners to ensure products are available when and where consumers want them.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys turning data into actionable business recommendations, and wants to play a visible role in managing one of the world's largest retail partnerships. You'll have the opportunity to influence business outcomes, strengthen customer relationships, and drive operational excellence across a portfolio of iconic Mattel brands.

• Serves as subject matter expert (SME) on assigned account and brands.
• Forecasting capabilities – Lead the analysis of sales trends to improve weekly item level POS projections. Own and align these plans with internal stake holders and retail partners to ensure we have a collaborative plan at retail.
• Determine appropriate model for evaluating item level forecasts and analysis, considering information such as total end consumer consumption forecasts, brand/product history, history of similar comparable brands/products, inventory levels and marketing programs.
• Consumption analysis – Determine a weekly shipping plan by item, by channel, to support POS plans, retailer in‑stock and future order needs.
• Create product flow pattern based on criteria such as seasonality profiles, planned promotions, distribution and price point.
• Attend internal consensus meetings to present and share understanding of POS demand forecasts, provide key data findings to cross‑functional S&OP teams to reach a consensus forecast on a month to month basis.
• Actively participate alongside Mattel sales team in key collaborative forecasting meetings with Buyers and Replenishment Managers. Present business findings and recommend action plan for the season.
• Deliver store in‑stock metrics by influencing the end‑to‑end order process including order creation, reviewing daily orders, maintaining perfect PO’s, and optimizing fill rate.
• Direct the execution of our Direct Import business out of Asia, partnering closely with the Customer Service team in our Hong Kong office.

• Strong Analytical Skills – ability to coordinate diverse information, identify relevant data, recommend and implement corrective actions.
• Solid Interpersonal and Communication Skills – ability to communicate effectively across all organizational levels and all functional areas, ability to understand, assess and present the viewpoints of others.
• Sound Business Judgment – ability to interpret issues and recommend actions to best support group, division and corporate goals.
• Process Oriented - Ability to identify and address process improvements and share expertise with others.