Demand Planning Specialist

Description:

Location: Pittston, PA

Who We Are

At Pittston Co-Packers, we are a team of hardworking individuals driven by a shared purpose: delivering the highest quality beverages through innovation, precision, and pride in our craft. From our production lines to our support teams, we believe in keeping things simple, empowering each other to take ownership, and working together to achieve excellence.

We’re not just growing; we’re setting a new standard in beverage manufacturing. Our culture is built on trust, collaboration, and a strong commitment to doing things the right way. If you’re looking for a workplace where your contributions are valued, your ideas are welcomed, and your growth is supported, you’ll feel right at home with us.

Job Summary

The Demand Planning Specialist is responsible for translating customer demand forecasts into actionable production and material plans that support efficient manufacturing operations. This role serves as a critical link between customer demand, production scheduling, inventory management, procurement, and warehouse operations.

The ideal candidate possesses strong analytical skills, advanced Excel capabilities, and hands-on experience in manufacturing planning. This position will work closely with customers and internal teams to ensure accurate forecasting, material availability, and alignment between customer requirements and plant capacity.

Key Responsibilities

Demand Forecast Management

Review, maintain, and analyze customer forecasts and demand plans on a weekly and monthly basis.

Collaborate with customer supply chain teams to understand forecast changes, demand fluctuations, and production requirements.

Identify forecast risks, unusual demand patterns, and volume changes that may impact manufacturing operations.

Maintain forecast accuracy and support continuous improvement of planning processes.

Production Planning Support

Translate customer demand forecasts into production requirements and manufacturing schedules.

Work closely with Production, Operations, and Warehouse teams to support weekly and daily production planning activities.

Monitor production requirements against available capacity and identify potential constraints.

Communicate production risks, scheduling conflicts, and demand changes to key stakeholders.

Support the development and maintenance of planning tools and scheduling reports.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

Convert demand forecasts into raw material and packaging material requirements.

Monitor inventory levels and material availability to support production schedules.

Identify potential material shortages, excess inventory, aging inventory, and expiration risks.

Partner with Procurement and Warehouse teams to ensure timely replenishment of materials.

Maintain accurate planning parameters and inventory data within ERP systems.

Inventory Planning & Analysis

Analyze inventory trends, consumption patterns, and demand variability.

Support inventory optimization efforts to balance service levels and inventory carrying costs.

Assist in managing slow-moving, obsolete, and excess inventory.

Perform inventory-related reporting and provide recommendations for corrective actions when needed.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Prepare and maintain planning reports, dashboards, and supply chain metrics.

Track key performance indicators such as forecast accuracy, inventory levels, material availability, and schedule adherence.

Conduct root cause analysis for planning variances and inventory issues.

Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on planning efficiency, inventory control, and operational performance.

Participate in ERP system enhancements, planning process improvements, and cross-functional projects.

Requirements:

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Logistics, Business Analytics, or a related field is required.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in demand planning, production planning, supply planning, inventory planning, or related supply chain functions.
• Previous experience in a manufacturing environment is required. Experience in beverage, food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or co-manufacturing operations is strongly preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills are required, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, advanced formulas, data analysis, and large dataset management. Experience with Power Query and macros is highly preferred.
• Experience using SAP is strongly preferred. Experience with other ERP or MRP systems such as Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms is a plus.
• Strong understanding of demand forecasting, inventory management, material planning, and production planning processes.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively across Production, Warehouse, Procurement, Finance, and customer-facing teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification is a plus.

What We Offer

· Medical, Dental & Vision insurance (company-subsidized)

· Company-paid Basic Life Insurance, STD& LTD

· 401(k) with 6% company match

· Paid Time Off (PTO) & paid holidays

· Growth opportunities and on-the-job training

Pittston Co-Packers is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.