Manager Demand Planning at Pet Valu in Markham, Ontario, CA

Location: Markham, Ontario

Job Description:

Position: Demand Planning Manager

Type: Full-Time | Permanent | Hybrid

Location: Markham, ON

Reports to: Director of Demand Planning and Replenishment

About Us:

Pet Valu is Canada’s leading pet specialty retailer, dedicated to strengthening the bond between dedicated pet lovers and their pets. With 50 years of animal care expertise, we operate over 800 stores across Canada under several banners, including Pet Valu, Bosley’s, Total Pet, Paulmac's Pet, Tisol & Chico. Guided by our mission to deliver products, care, expertise, and memorable moments, Pet Valu is a place where people build meaningful careers while making a positive impact on pets and communities.

Our employees are the key to our success! As a growing organization, our employees apply their creativity and innovative ideas as they take ownership of their projects and growth. We pride ourselves in providing an open environment by managing with approachability and providing support to allow for career development. 

Our Supply Chain team is growing and evolving to ensure that we continue to provide the best experience possible to support our Pet Valu community. We are excited to continue the journey with this role, to help us make a difference each day, supporting pets and their owners. 

Job Description Summary: Reporting to our Director of Demand Planning and Replenishment, the primary focus of the Demand Planning Manager role is to manage the planning and strategy driving the purchase and allocation of inventory in our Distribution Centres and Corporate Stores. This includes accountability for achieving budgeted objectives, such as receipts, turns, forecast accuracy metrics, and service levels, while optimizing inventory.

This role supports our supply chain strategy and customer experience as a key participant in the demand planning activities across Pet Valu’s Supply Chain business areas. It supports both national and private branded Hardlines and Specialty products across North America in the Pet Valu family of stores, including Chico.

The successful candidate will be responsible for a team of Demand Planning Analysts and building and fostering partnerships across the organization, while supporting excellence within our Supply Chain team(s). They should be highly analytical, a proven leader, and an effective communicator with the ability to collaborate with multiple levels of the organization, leveraging critical thinking skills to collect, analyze, interpret data while utilizing and optimizing systems. Additionally, they should align with best Supply Chain practices and be in sync with our Supply Chain network, systems, strategy, team culture, and the Pet Valu community. 

Job Description:  Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage, develop, and mentor a team of Demand Planning Analysts. Provide training, guidance, and support for all regular demand/forecast related tasks. Recruit team members as needed.
• Ensure demand planners support inventory planning and optimization, aligning supply with demand of assigned products in corporate stores and company DCs to drive turns and meet service level targets.
• Oversee the team’s review of historical sales trends, research demand drivers, prepare forecast data, develop statistical forecast models, and evaluate forecast results.
• Review and ensure the effective use of forecast and reporting tools to analyze forecast accuracy, identify root causes of errors, and drive continuous improvement within the organization.
• Validate statistical forecasts: gather and analyze data, execute statistical modeling, review resulting statistical forecast models, apply error analysis techniques to improve forecasting, summarize statistical forecast accuracy.
• Utilize a collaborative and consensus-driven approach to engage with key business areas and understand demand forecast drivers.
• Partner with key business units (Merchandising, Proprietary Brands team, Vendor partners, Replenishment, etc.), on long-term planning, forecasting, and other initiatives to support corporate goals.
• Review marketing plans and oversee forecast adjustments for all business programs and planned promotions.
• Support producing quarterly receipt plans based on forecasted sales, tracking actual performance against the plan, and adjust as needed.
• Leverage advanced tools and analysis to determine optimal inventory planning strategy required.
• Support Replenishment Analysts in resolving vendor issues related to demand planning and forecasting.
• Participate in business/demand review meetings to evaluate forecasting effectiveness, identify root-causes of significant issues, and coordinate action plans to improve forecast accuracy.
• Accountable for managing the merchandise financial planning inputs and outputs and their impact on the Supply Chain process.

Competencies:

• Advanced experience using Microsoft 365, Word, and PowerPoint with advanced knowledge in Excel including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, advanced formulas, and macros.
• Familiarity with data mining applications such as Tableau, Power BI, and IBM Cognos.
• Experience with Demand Planning & Replenishment systems (Blue Yonder, etc.)

Analytical:

• Proficient in demand planning best practices, with proven experience optimizing inventory to align with budgeted KPIs.
• Demonstrated understanding of supply chain processes and key performance indicators.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data, identify trends and patterns, and assess seasonality and cyclical behaviours to predict future demand while aligning with business objectives.

Teamwork:

• Effective team player who adds complementary skills and contributes valuable ideas and feedback.
• Accountable for fulfilling commitments to both immediate and cross functional teams, ensuring the right business leads are informed and involved when required.
• Builds partnerships and collaborates with teams to achieve shared objectives.
• Willing to “roll up their sleeves” to support tasks when needed.

Execution with Excellence :

• Motivates and leads a team to achieve maximum results.
• Approaches new opportunities and challenges with urgency and enthusiasm, while effectively managing multiple priorities.
• Learns innovative methods, tools, and technology, applying them to business tasks and requests.
• Self-directed and motivated to achieve results independently.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and operate effectively.
• Acquires and utilizes necessary information from subject matter experts to deliver excellence.

Communication :

• Establishes and maintains effective, dynamic relationships with management, direct reports, and user groups across the organization.
• Communicates effectively with cross functional teams, leadership, and third-party providers.

Experience, Education, Certifications:

• Post-secondary education in business, supply chain or a related field.
• Relevant work experience will be considered.
• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in supply chain, with a focus on demand planning.
• Experience forecasting within a national network supply chain business that includes multiple points of distribution, and retail locations.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Experience in leading a team.
• Understanding of Merchandise Financial Planning process inputs and outputs - MFP Methodology (Impacts to the Supply Chain processes).
• Understanding of the conceptual balance between service level and inventory optimization.
• Strong Time and Task Management organizational skills.
• Knowledge of SQL or other programing languages is an asset.
• Experience in the retail industry is required. Pet Food, Supplies and Accessories experience is ideal.
• Experience collaborating across an organization with Merchandising, Supply Chain, Marketing, Store Operations, Finance, and IT.
• Experience with Blue Yonder Demand Planning systems is considered an asset.

Compensation:

The targeted salary range for this position is $90,000-$110,000 annually. The final offer will be based on factors such as market location, relevant skills, experience and internal equity.

Ready to join the team?

We’re looking for passionate people who bring strong skills and live our core values of safety, compassion, expertise, and efficiency every day. If you’re energized by doing meaningful work, taking pride in what you deliver, and making a real impact for pets, people, and communities, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us and build a career where purpose, care, and excellence come together - because love lives here™.

Why work for us?

At Pet Valu, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re passionate about creating an environment where you feel supported, included, and empowered to grow - both personally and professionally. Some of the perks of working with us include:

• Hybrid, Flexible Work Options

• Comprehensive health and dental benefits

• Employee Share Purchase Plan with company matching

• Learning and Development support tailored to you

• An inclusive, collaborative culture where your voice matters

• Fun company events that keep us connected

• Preferred rates for car rentals, hotels, phone plans and gym discounts

• Generous employee discounts on our products

Pet Valu is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and accessibility. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

At Pet Valu, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our hiring practices. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Pet Valu may use AI enabled technology to assist in the recruitment process for positions. The use of AI helps us ensure we are providing an equitable and streamlined recruitment experience for all applicants. While AI tools support our recruitment process, all decisions throughout the process are made exclusively by Pet Valu’s hiring team. At no stage does AI determine recruitment outcomes.