Manager, Demand & Replenishment Planning

JOB SUMMARY:

The Manager, Demand and Replenishment Planning & Procurement provides strategic planning and analytical support for Universal Orlando's Food & Beverage (F&B) operations. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining ongoing SKU-level demand forecasts, proactively gathering inputs from Culinary, Warehouse, Operations, and Finance partners, and translating those signals into actionable procurement and replenishment plans.

This position owns forecasting accuracy, demand modeling, inventory planning, and system inputs that drive replenishment performance. The Manager serves as a central connector between Sourcing, Procurement, Culinary, Operations, Warehouse, and Finance, ensuring product needs are anticipated, communicated, and fulfilled efficiently while aligning inventory availability with financial objectives.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

+ Demand Forecasting & Analytics:
Develop, maintain, and continuously refine rolling SKU-level demand forecasts incorporating historical usage, sales trends, event calendars, seasonality, attendance data, and menu changes. Apply analytical models and MRP/planning tools to translate demand signals into supply requirements. Analyze variance to actuals and adjust assumptions, inputs, and methodologies to improve forecast accuracy.

+ Replenishment, Par Level Governance & Inventory Planning:
Own calculation, review, and optimization of par levels balancing service levels and working capital efficiency. Integrate procurement lead times and MOQs, warehouse capacity and cadence, culinary and operational velocity, and financial constraints. Establish system-driven reorder points and ensure MRP logic aligns with operational realities to minimize spoilage, stockouts, overstocks, and excess safety stock.

+ Cross-Functional Collaboration & Procurement Leadership:
Serve as the central planning and execution leader for Culinary, Sourcing, Warehouse, Operations, and Finance, while providing direct people leadership and day-to-day management of the Food & Beverage procurement team (Buyers and Senior Buyers). Set priorities, establish standard work, coach execution, and hold the team accountable for purchasing discipline, issue resolution, and inventory performance.

+ Replenishment Strategy, Systems Excellence, Data Analysis & Reporting:
Develop and deliver reporting on forecast accuracy, SKU performance, inventory turns, COGS, and usage variance. Maintain MRP/ERP planning parameters to ensure accurate system outputs. Identify and resolve exceptions including stockout risks, overstocks, system errors, consumption anomalies, and supplier delays.

+ Budget & Financial Alignment:
Collaborate with Finance and Sourcing to align forecasts with budgeted revenue, COGS, and open-to-buy parameters. Highlight financial risks and opportunities driven by consumption trends, waste, and ordering behavior. Support financial planning cycles with forward-looking inventory projections.

+ Process Improvement:
Recommend and implement enhancements to forecasting tools, data workflows, and communication routines to improve accuracy, efficiency, and decision-making.

EDUCATION:

+ Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or a related field required.

EXPERIENCE:

+ 5+ years of experience in demand planning, materials or replenishment planning, procurement, or financial analysis; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

+ Food & Beverage, retail, hospitality, or high-SKU-volume operational experience strongly preferred.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

+ This position operates in alignment with leadership-level expectations. The Manager provides functional leadership, strategic guidance, and analytical direction to Buyers, Procurement Coordinators, and cross-functional partners. It is accountable for influencing decision-making, setting planning standards, and driving execution across Sourcing, Procurement, Warehouse, Culinary, Operations, and Finance teams.

+ Strong understanding of cost of goods, margin, markup, and profitability concepts.

+ Demonstrated ability to forecast and analyze consumption trends by SKU, category, and location.

+ Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel;…