Demand Planning Lead

Lead Demand Planning | North America

Centennial, CO (Hybrid)

Do you thrive at the intersection of analytics, strategy, and business planning?

At Orica, we're looking for a Demand Planning Lead to own the North America demand forecast and help transform demand planning into a proactive, strategic capability that drives business performance, customer satisfaction, and sustainable growth. This role will play a critical part in advancing AI-enabled forecasting, improving forecast accuracy, and helping the business anticipate future market, customer, and supply chain changes. 

You will partner closely with commercial, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, and finance leaders to turn complex data into actionable business decisions across North America

Why This Role Matters

As our Demand Planning Lead, this is more than a forecasting role.

We're seeking a strategic planner with strong business and financial acumen who can look beyond monthly numbers to understand the broader business landscape, identify emerging trends, challenge assumptions, and influence decisions that impact customer service, inventory performance, manufacturing plans, and business growth. 

Success in this role means helping evolve demand planning from a transactional forecasting process into a trusted business partnership that delivers insights, scenario planning, and long-term value.

How You'll Make an Impact

Lead North America Demand Planning
•    Own the monthly demand planning and S&OP process across North America.
•    Develop consensus forecasts that balance market intelligence, commercial insights, operational realities, and business strategy.
•    Identify assumptions, risks, opportunities, and emerging trends before they impact performance.
•    Help stakeholders move from reactive decision-making toward proactive planning.
 

Advance Forecasting Through Analytics and AI
•    Partner with stakeholders to maximize the value of newly implemented AI-enabled forecasting capabilities.
•    Evaluate AI-generated forecasts against business assumptions and market inputs.
•    Analyze forecast performance, forecast accuracy, and forecast bias to identify opportunities for improvement.
•    Support the continuous refinement of forecasting methodologies, assumptions, and planning processes.
•    Utilize advanced analytics and business intelligence tools to generate actionable insights. 

Driving Strategic Business Decisions
•    Partners with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Planning, and Finance leaders across North America.
•    Translate data into recommendations that support inventory, capacity, sourcing, allocation, and growth decisions.
•    Present insights and recommendations to senior leaders and align planning decisions with business strategy.
•    Influence stakeholders through strong communication, business storytelling, and data-driven decision-making. 

Improve Demand Planning Capabilities
•    Improve demand planning processes, forecasting methodologies, and data quality.
•    Drive deeper analysis at the customer, product, and SKU level.
•    Support long-term planning, budgeting, and business transformation initiatives.
•    Help establish best-in-class demand planning capabilities across North America.

What you will bring

Required Qualifications

•    Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Economics, Marketing, Analytics, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. 
•    5+ years of experience in demand planning, supply planning, S&OP, integrated business planning, forecasting, commercial planning, analytics, manufacturing, operations, finance, product management, or similar business planning functions. 
•    Proven ability to translate data into meaningful business recommendations. 
•    Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills. 
•    Demonstrated business and financial acumen. 
•    Ability to influence decisions across multiple functions and levels of the organization. 
•    Strategic mindset with the ability to connect operational decisions to long-term business outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

•    Experience with SAP, S/4HANA, IBP, Oracle, or similar planning and ERP platforms. 
•    Experience with Power BI or other advanced business intelligence and visualization tools. 
•    Experience utilizing forecasting models, predictive analytics, or AI-enabled planning tools. 
•    Experience managing large product portfolios, SKU complexity, customer segmentation, or demand segmentation. 
•    Experience in manufacturing, industrial products, chemicals, consumer goods, packaged goods, or other complex supply chain environments. 
•    Continuous improvement or project management experience. 
•    Experience working across geographically dispersed teams and stakeholder groups.

Work Environment

•    Hybrid work model with a minimum of three days per week in our Centennial, Colorado office.
•    Travel up to 25%, primarily to collaborate with manufacturing sites, business leaders, and planning partners across North America.
•    This is an individual contributor role with significant influence across North America and frequent engagement with senior stakeholders.

What Success Looks Like

Within your first 12 months, you will:

•    Strengthen forecast accuracy and reduce forecast bias across North America.
•    Help optimize the use of newly implemented AI forecasting capabilities.
•    Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across Commercial, Operations, Manufacturing, and Finance.
•    Increase visibility of business risks, opportunities, and demand assumptions.
•    Deliver meaningful business insights that support smarter decisions and improved performance.
•    Help elevate the role of demand planning as a strategic business partner within North America.

Why Professionals Choose This Role

•    High visibility with senior leaders across North America. 
•    Opportunity to influence strategic business decisions. 
•    Exposure to advanced analytics, AI-enabled forecasting, and modern planning technologies. 
•    Ability to shape the future of demand planning within a global organization. 
•    Diverse career growth opportunities across Supply Chain, Planning, Operations, Commercial, and Business Leadership

What we offer

As part of a truly global company, you will have the ability to grow and learn in a diverse, collaborative culture. We foster relationships and learning through connected global and local teams, promote flexible and diverse career paths and support the development of your knowledge and skills. 

You will be paid a competitive salary, learn from talented individuals across multiple disciplines and be able to thrive in a safe workplace within a collaborative culture. Ignite your career at a place where your distinct potential can find its home.

Compensation Range 

•    $118,275 – $140,000 USD per year
•    Eligible for annual short-term incentive plan

(Salary to be determined by the applicant’s experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.)

Benefits 

•    Medical/Prescription Drug – Three (3) plans to choose from
•    Dental – Two (2) plans to choose from
•    Vision – Two (2) plans to choose from
•    Health Savings Account
•    Flexible Spending Accounts
•    Basic Employee Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance 
•    Voluntary Employee/Dependent Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance 
•    Company provided Short-Term and Long-Term Disability 
•    Company provided Employee Assistance Program
•    Voluntary Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness & Accident Plans
•    Voluntary Identity Theft Protection 
•    Voluntary Legal Plan
•    401(k) + Company Match
•    Company provided Maternity Leave
•    Company provided Bonding Leave
•    Accrued Paid Time Off 
•    Paid Sick & Safe Time
•    Nine (9) Scheduled Holidays + Two (2) Floating Holidays 

How and When to Apply

We recognize that candidates may not meet every qualification listed. If you are excited about this opportunity and believe your skills and experience could contribute to success in the role, we encourage you to apply.

If interested in this role, please apply at www.orica.com/careers to Job Requisition 39404

Application Deadline: August 07, 2026 

We respect and value all

Orica is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we are a Drug-free workplace. 

Orica promotes and fosters a culture of inclusion and Equal Opportunity Employment everywhere we operate. We treat our people and applicants with fairness, dignity, and respect, getting the best of everyone’s contributions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, nationality, age, military or veteran, marital or disability status.

We have been made aware that some individuals have received scam emails which include false and invalid offers of employment from Orica.  Please note that Orica will not offer employment to any candidate without first undertaking a formal application and recruitment process.  All candidates are required to actively participate in the recruitment process applicable to the specific role and location where the role is based, prior to any offer of employment being made.  Please also be advised that Orica will never request payment or require candidates to deposit a check during the recruitment and onboarding processes.