Demand Planning Manager

Job Summary

The Demand Planning Manager at Medline plays a critical role in optimizing demand forecasts, improving inventory positioning, and driving alignment across supply chain and commercial functions. This role blends hands‑on forecasting expertise with leadership responsibilities, ensuring that demand planning processes contribute to improved service levels, inventory efficiency, and overall business performance.
In this role, you will lead a team of Demand Planners, guiding them in the development, execution, and continuous improvement of demand forecasts while fostering collaboration across sales, marketing, and supply chain teams. You will be responsible for enhancing forecast accuracy, refining planning methodologies, and ensuring adherence to best practices within the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process.
At Medline, we believe in continuous improvement and ownership at every level. As a Demand Planning Manager, you will have the opportunity to shape processes, develop talent, and drive meaningful improvements in how we anticipate and meet customer demand. If you thrive in a fast‑paced environment where data‑driven decision‑making and collaboration are key to success, this role offers the visibility and impact you are looking for.

• Lead team members by placing value on adherence to the monthly planning process, standards for demand planning best practices, and a bias for action in achieving KPIs through forecast value add activities.

• Work cross functionally to enhance the end‑to‑end capability of the S&OP process, bringing customer and market insights to branch and category planners to further enhance Demand Review maturity.

• Cultivate an environment of continuous improvement with an emphasis on collaboration and personal ownership.

• Maintain key performance metrics and demand monitoring for senior management.

• Determine methods to address and correct planning behaviors that adversely affect forecast accuracy, service, and inventory position.

• Act as subject matter expert regarding demand planning processes and work with supply network planners, import and domestic buyers, supply chain analysts and central data organizations.

• Manage and partner with internal and external stakeholders.

• Train, coach, and lead team in documented process flows, rules and standards relevant to inventory management demand planning and industry best practices - Work closely with our Implementation team to successfully plan the on boarding of new business by minimizing inventory exposure and maximizing service.

• Lead day‑to‑day activities of the team.

• Assign, monitor and review process and accuracy of work.

• Direct efforts and provide technical guidance on more complex issues.

• Assist in the ideation, management, and prioritization of continuous improvement projects and initiatives.

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Supply Chain Management

• 4 years experience in Supply Chain

• Experience applying knowledge of MRP, buying, demand planning and forecasting.

• At least 2 years of experience managing people, including hiring, developing, motivating and directing people as they work

• Experience with leading, mentoring, and developing employees; performance management; and cultivating a team culture that aligns with the organization’s goals and values

• Ability to assess and initiate actions independently. Experience in taking charge of a situation, team or project.

• Experience developing ways of accomplishing goals with little or no supervision, depending on oneself to complete objectives and determining when escalation of issues is necessary.

• Demonstrated problem solving ability in an environment of rapid change and with many variables.

• Experience analyzing data and/or process to identify issues, trends, or exceptions to drive improvement of results and find solutions.

• Experience presenting to and communicating with various audiences (ex. others with differing language, senior management and non-technical audiences).

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Strong visual presentation skills as related to reports,…