Senior Manager, Material Forecasting

The Senior Manager, Material Forecasting is responsible for developing, maintaining, and continuously improving raw material demand forecasts to support production planning, procurement, and inventory optimization. This role combines deep supply chain planning expertise with a strong focus on digitization, automation, and data-driven decision making
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The Senior Manager, Material Forecasting will leverage advanced analytics, forecasting tools, and automation technologies to streamline forecasting processes, improve forecast accuracy, and reduce manual planning activities. This position also plays a key role in driving digital transformation initiatives across the supply chain by implementing scalable forecasting models, automated reporting, and integrated planning solutions.

• Develop and maintain accurate short-, mid-, and long-term raw material demand forecasts aligned with finished goods demand plans and production schedules.
• Translate product demand forecasts into material-level requirements to support procurement and production planning.
• Monitor forecast performance, identify variances, and implement corrective actions to improve forecast accuracy.
• Collaborate with Demand Planning, Production Planning, Procurement, Program Management and Finance teams to align material forecasts with business objectives.
• Lead initiatives to digitize and automate raw material forecasting processes, reducing reliance on manual spreadsheets and repetitive tasks.
• Design and implement automated forecasting models, dashboards, and reporting tools using planning systems, analytics platforms, or scripting tools.
• Identify opportunities to integrate advanced analytics, AI/ML forecasting techniques, and predictive modeling into planning processes.
• Partner with IT and data teams to enhance system integration between ERP, planning systems, and data platforms.

• Analyze large datasets to identify trends, risks, and opportunities within raw material demand and supply.
• Build and maintain automated reporting dashboards that provide visibility into forecast accuracy, material availability, and inventory risk.
• Conduct scenario analysis and simulations to evaluate the impact of demand fluctuations, supply constraints, or operational changes.

• Standardize and optimize forecasting processes to improve scalability, transparency, and efficiency.
• Develop documentation and best practices for forecasting methodologies and system workflows.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance supply chain planning capabilities.

• Serve as a key liaison between Demand Planning, Procurement, Production, Program Management, Finance, and IT.
• Provide insights that support strategic sourcing decisions, inventory management, and capacity planning.
• Support monthly S&OP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes with material-level forecasting insights.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Business Analytics, or related field
• Master’s degree or advanced certifications (APICS/ASCM, CPIM, CSCP) preferred

• 5–8+ years of experience in supply chain planning, forecasting, or materials planning
• Experience working with ERP and planning systems (e.g., SAP, Kinaxis, Pigment, Oracle, Anaplan, Blue Yonder, etc.)
• Proven experience implementing automation, data analytics, or digital supply chain initiatives

• Strong data analysis and modeling capabilities
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Python, R, or similar analytics tools
• Experience building automated forecasting models and dashboards
• Familiarity with MRP planning concepts and supply chain data structures

• Analytical and data-driven decision making
• Process improvement and automation mindset
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management
• Ability to translate complex data into actionable insights
• Continuous improvement and digital innovation focus

• Raw material forecast accuracy
• Reduction in manual planning processes
• Inve…