Demand Planner

The role of the Demand Planner is to forecast product demand on the Funky Pigeon gifting ranges (including Personalised and Non-Personalised ranges) and make informed buying decisions based on sales data and trends. There will be a focus on ensuring product availability to maximise sales and avoid stockouts. The Demand Planner works closely with the Buying team on shaping the range by making recommendations based on demand. There is also a focus on minimising wastage and achieving department stock cover targets.
Now a household name for personalised cards and gifts, it’s a hugely exciting time for Funky Pigeon. Turnover is growing and we’re building our tech and digital capability to take our rapidly expanding ecommerce business to the next level. It’s a collaborative team environment, fast-paced, creative and fun, and you’ll be surrounded by passionate people with a ‘one team’ approach.
We are currently seeking a Demand Planner to join us in our Bristol office. Reporting into the Demand Planning Manager, you will work closely with our Gifting team to ensure launches for our ranges and promotions are delivered according to critical timelines. You will also create and maintain forecasts and stockholdings across the business, incorporating analysis of sales data, market trends and analytics to anticipate product needs, ranges and stock levels across the business.
You’ll enjoy working with people and have experience managing supplier demand forecasting across varying product categories. You will also monitor stock movement through the business and work with buyers to manage markdowns, promotions, price changes, sell through etc.
Key accountabilities (What do I need to deliver/achieve to be effective in this role?)
- Weekly stock replenishment and working with suppliers to ensure availability
- Work with the buying team to create and shape ongoing forecasts and challenge where appropriate.
- Prepare forecast data and stock buy details for key seasonal peaks for sign off meetings.
- Manage stock levels on continuing ranges.
- Work with buyers & key suppliers to ensure key lines always remain in stock
- Monitor promotional activities and highlight variances where they differ from the sales forecast to react to shortage or wastage issues
- Stock and Purchasing responsibility for your categories
- Continue supporting development of stock systems, reporting and forecasting methods to continually improve accuracy across the business.
- Manage sell through on delisted / dated product
- Reporting on Supplier performance and following up with suppliers on any feedback on delivery accuracy/timings etc
- Working closely with the Operations teams to support planning

Skills & experience
- Demonstrated proficiency in forecasting and forecasting methods with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts.
- Proven working experience of stock and Purchase Order management
- Strong listening, presentation, and decision-making skills
- Strong interpersonal skills to effectively interact with all teams, areas and levels of the business affecting the forecast process
- Ability to work autonomously and manage your workload in a fast-paced environment
- Commercial acumen and the ability to interpret market trends
- Analytical mindset to confidently interpret and analyse data
- Supply chain management
- Inventory management
- Mathematical skills
- Organizational skills
- Experience with Far East would be advantageous but not essential.
- A high level of Excel knowledge with the ability to analyse and manipulate data quickly and an attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills
- Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent
- Drive to succeed and work as part of a high performing team

How do I show up at work?
Customer focus
Keep the customer at the heart of all we do.
Drive for results
Tenacity for ambitious and competitive results delivered with pace.
Value our people
Our people are respected and valued in an honest, open environment.
Accountability
Take a personal responsibility and deliver what we say we will.
Collaborators (Who do I need to work with to succeed?)
- Demand Planning team
- Buying team
- Marketing team
- Trading team
- IT Development Team
- External suppliers
- Production/Operations team

KPI’s
- Stock holding management
- Accurate stock forecasting
- Stock availability
- Minimising stock write off
- Supplier performance management
- Peak product performance