Senior Demand Planner at Coates Signco in Chicago, IL

Be Part of Our Next Chapter

For over almost 60 years, our solutions have enabled impactful connections between some of the world’s leading brands and their customers. And while we’ve already done a lot of work we’re proud of, we’re just getting started!

We’re a global technology company focused on creating dynamic, smart, personalized and engaging customer experiences powered by our range of digital hardware, our proprietary content management system and our industry leading signage solutions. (For example: If you’ve ordered in-store or in the drive-thru at McDonald’s somewhere in the world in the last few years, chances are you’ve interacted with our digital solutions.) We work in over 50 global markets and have 9 offices around the world, with a global headquarters proudly located in our founding home of Sydney, Australia.

Coates Group has the values of a family-owned business and the innovative spirit of a start-up, both which fuel our purpose – Creating Connections. Empowering Partnerships. Always Evolving. Through hard work, dedication and creativity, we’ve become industry leaders who have won awards and set records while remaining focused on continual growth and evolution. We are a 2x Australia Good Design Award winner and successfully completed the largest hardware deployment in Quick Service Restaurant history.

We are curious, charismatic, authentic and we value and leverage the diversity of our crew. We are imaginers, kindness enthusiasts, experts, creators, thinkers, challengers, collaborators and over-achievers. And together, as a Crew, we are revolutionizing the way the world’s leading brands leverage technology to drive the best customer experiences.

The Senior Demand Planner is responsible for developing, maintaining, and continuously improving the demand forecast across North America. This role plays a critical part in enabling accurate demand & supply planning, inventory optimization, and revenue predictability in a complex environment characterized by project-based hardware deployments, seasonality, and enterprise QSR customer dynamics. Reporting to the Senior S&OP Manager, NAM, this role serves as a key contributor to the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, ensuring alignment between Account Management, Finance, Supply Chain, and Customer Success. The analyst translates sales signals (leads & opportunities), pipeline intelligence, and historical trends into actionable demand plans that support strategic decision-making and operational execution.

Responsibilities:

Demand Forecasting & Planning:

• Develop and maintain statistically driven and consensus-based HW forecasts across NAM

• Incorporate multiple inputs including sales pipeline and deal probabilities, customer rollout schedules (e.g., enterprise QSR deployments), historical sales trends and seasonality patterns

• Manage separate forecasting methodologies for Project-based hardware deployments (lumpy, milestone-driven demand) &

Recurring SaaS subscriptions (ramp curves, attach rates)

S&OP Process Ownership:

• Support and actively contribute to the monthly S&OP cycle including demand review preparation and facilitation & alignment with Sales, Finance, and Supply teams

•Ensure forecast assumptions, risks, and opportunities are clearly documented and communicated.

•Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy and process maturity.

Process & Tool Enhancement:

•Drive improvements in demand planning tools, systems, and data quality.

•Standardize forecasting methodologies and documentation.

•Support implementation of advanced planning systems or automation initiatives.

Data Analysis & Insights:

•Analyze forecast performance (e.g., forecast accuracy, bias) and identify root causes of variances.

•Provide actionable insights on demand trends and risks, seasonality impacts (e.g., QSR peak periods, holiday cycles), customer-specific demand patterns

•Build dashboards and reporting tools to enhance visibility and decision-making.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

•Partner closely with Sales (pipeline validation, deal timing, customer insights), Finance (revenue alignment, budget vs. forecast reconciliation), Supply Chain (capacity planning, inventory positioning), Customer Success / Implementation teams (deployment schedules)

•Act as the central point of truth for demand signals across NAM.

Qualifications:

•Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Economics, or related field (Master’s preferred).

•3–6+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, supply chain analytics, or related roles.

•Experience in a technology, hardware, SaaS, or hybrid business model preferred.

•Exposure to project-based or rollout-driven demand environments strongly preferred.

•Experience working with enterprise customers or in industries with seasonality (e.g., QSR, retail) is a plus.

•Familiarity with S&OP / IBP processes and cross-functional planning environments.

•Experience with forecasting and planning tools (e.g., Adaptive Planning, SAP IBP, Anaplan, Oracle, or similar) mandatory.

Capabilities

•Technical & Analytical - Strong quantitative and analytical skills, ability to translate data into insights. Proficiency in Excel and data tools (e.g., SQL, BI platforms like Tableau/Power BI). Understanding of forecasting techniques (statistical models, regression, time series, etc.).

•Business Acumen - Strong understanding of revenue drivers in both HW (project-based) and SaaS (recurring) models, ability to interpret sales pipelines and customer rollout strategies.

•Adaptability & Problem Solving - Comfortable operating in ambiguity and evolving business environments, proactive, solutions-oriented approach to addressing forecasting challenges.

•Communication & Influence - Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex data clearly to non-technical stakeholders, confidence in challenging assumptions and influencing cross-functional partners.

About Coates

We are industry leaders who have won awards and set records. We are a 2x Australia Good Design Award winner and we successfully completed the largest hardware deployment in Quick Service Restaurant history.

We are led by a forward-thinking CEO who has demonstrated a true passion for people and making Coates a place where people genuinely enjoy working. Our growth plans enable a focus on providing rapid career advancement opportunities for our talent.

Together, we are creators, allowing us to make our purpose a reality – to create immersive brand experiences for everyone.

Join a Crew that Cares

Be part of a global team of talented, ambitious, creative people that value integrity, individuality and inclusivity. (Ask us about our Equality + Empowerment Initiatives).

The benefits include an annual market competitive bonus program and our “Thrive Program” which includes a suite of flexible work options because we’re strong believers that you should never miss an important life or work moment. Thrive also provides dedicated time to prioritize our health and wellbeing (think virtual Yoga or meditation sessions), a Global Wellness paid day off to recharge as well as a “Give Back Day” to allow our Crew an opportunity to make an impact in the community.

Be inspired To Be More

We skip the red tape and aim to always stay nimble. We’re proud of where we’ve been and are energized by where we’re going. We encourage ideas and perspectives because we know the more we have, the better we are. We work hard but have fun along the way. We push the boundaries but keep it real and authentic. We believe in the values that got us here are the ones that will continue to lead us forward. We are excited by what we’ve accomplished, but know the best is yet to come.

Coates Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam Era, or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law).

Fraud Alert: Employment Scam Advisory

It has come to our attention that unauthorised individuals are impersonating our company and reaching out to job seekers through fraudulent emails, falsely claiming to represent Coates. These emails often request personal information and appear to come from domains that are not affiliated with our organisation, such as coatesgroupcareer.com.

We take this matter very seriously. Coates has reported these incidents to law enforcement and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation. We are committed to protecting the integrity of our recruitment process and the privacy of our applicants.

Please be advised of the following:

- Coates does not operate or communicate through any domain resembling "@coatesgroupcareer.com"

- We do not contact employment candidates via email to solicit personal or financial information

- All applications for employment must be submitted through our official website https://coatesgroup.com/careers or directly through our LinkedIn profile: Coates Group

- All emails from us will come from our official domain, which is [at]coatesgroup[dot]com or via our Applicant - Tracking System (ATS) email address, which is no-reply[at]hire.lever[dot]co

If you receive any suspicious communications purporting to be from Coates, we urge you not to respond, do not click any links, and do not provide any personal information. Your safety and trust are of the utmost importance to us. Thank you for your vigilance.