Demand Planning Manager

About Adams Group
Adams Group is a fifth-generation, family-owned specialty food company built on over 110 years of a simple but powerful belief: good food starts with good people. Founded on the principle of doing the right thing, we've grown to become the most trusted provider of high-quality specialty grains, oils, and seeds—delivering quality ingredients from seed to shelf.

Rooted in trusted farmer partnerships and vertically integrated operations, we combine agricultural expertise with intentional innovation to deliver specialty at scale. Our commitment to quality, sustainability, and integrity isn't just what we do—it's who we are.

Our Legacy of Innovation
While we stay true to our values, our success across five generations comes from our entrepreneurial spirit and ability to adapt to the needs of a changing food landscape. Embodying the spirit of California, we push boundaries, pioneer new standards, and create better-for-all alternatives that nourish people from infancy to adulthood.

More Than a Job—A Purpose
At Adams Group, we offer more than careers; we offer the opportunity to be part of something meaningful. Whether you're producing high-quality ingredients, supporting sustainable practices, or building trusted relationships across our global network, your work helps nourish lives and communities across generations.

We care deeply for our people, build strong relationships with our partners, deliver consistently for our customers, and enrich the communities we serve. Together, we're elevating industry standards and making a lasting impact on the world.

Join Our Story
Come be part of a legacy where good starts with you. At Adams Group, you don't just have a career—you have a legacy.

Position Summary
The Demand Planning Manager is responsible for owning and leading the company's demand forecasting process to support effective Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and business decision-making. This role develops the consensus demand forecast by integrating historical data, customer and market insights, promotional plans, and strategic initiatives. The Demand Planning Manager partners closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Planning, and Operations to ensure alignment between demand, supply, and financial objectives. This position plays a critical leadership role in improving forecast accuracy, managing demand risk and opportunity, and enabling efficient production, inventory, and service performance across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and lead the development of the consensus demand forecast at the SKU, customer, and channel level.
• Lead the monthly Demand Review as part of the S&OP process, ensuring alignment across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Planning, and Operations.
• Establish forecasting standards, assumptions, and governance to ensure consistency and accuracy across the organization.
• Partner with Sales and Commercial teams to incorporate promotions, customer initiatives, seasonal trends, and new product launches into the demand plan.
• Partner closely with the Director of Sales Planning and Strategy to incorporate commercial forecasts, customer insights, and growth assumptions into a single, consensus demand forecast.
• Translate demand signals into actionable insights for supply planning, production, procurement, and inventory management.
• Monitor and manage demand planning KPIs, including forecast accuracy, forecast bias, and demand plan stability; drive corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Provide volume inputs and demand scenarios to Finance to support revenue forecasting, budgeting, and financial planning.
• Identify demand risks and opportunities and proactively communicate impacts to cross-functional leadership.
• Lead scenario planning and "what-if" analysis to support executive decision-making.
• Ensure demand planning data integrity and continuous improvement of forecasting tools, systems, and processes within ERP and planning platforms.
• Provide functional leadership and guidance for demand planning activities, with potential to mentor future demand planning resources as the function evolves.
• Support long-term planning initiatives, including annual operating plans and strategic growth initiatives.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Economics, Statistics, or a related field.
• 5-8 years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain planning, preferably within food manufacturing, agriculture, or CPG industries.
• Proven experience leading demand reviews and owning the demand forecast within an S&OP or IBP framework.
• Strong experience partnering cross-functionally with Sales, Finance, Operations, and Supply Planning.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience working within ERP systems (e.g., Microsoft NAV, SAP, NetSuite).
• Experience with demand planning or forecasting tools and statistical models

Skills And Competencies

• Expertise in strategic sourcing, category management, and supplier performance management
• Strong knowledge of packaging materials and manufacturing processes
• Proficiency in procurement and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Coupa, Oracle, Ariba)
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills; experience with TCO and cost modeling
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation capabilities
• High commercial and financial acumen with understanding of P&L impact
• Excellent project management and organizational skills
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder influence skills
• Ability to lead change and drive adoption of new processes and tools
• Analytical, detail-oriented, and results-driven mindset
• High integrity and commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification in procurement or supply management (e.g., CPSM, CIPS, CPM)
• Demonstrated experience leading sustainable packaging initiatives and ESG-focused sourcing program
• Working knowledge of Lean or Six Sigma methodologies applied to sourcing, supplier performance, or cost optimization
• Experience managing procurement across global and/or multi-site manufacturing environments
• Bilingual in English and Spanish (preferred)

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based with regular interaction with manufacturing and supplier sites
• Willingness to travel up to 10-20% to supplier or manufacturing locations as required

Food Safety Policy
Adams Group is committed to producing and distributing high quality products through adherence to industry and regulatory standards. As an Adams Group employee, you will be trained on our food safety policies and will be held accountable to adhering to them. You will be encouraged and required to notify supervision about actual or potential food safety issues. Everyone at Adams is involved in delivering safe food - within your scope of work you will be empowered to act to resolve food safety issues.