Sales & Operational Planning Analyst
Job Title: Sales & Operational Planning Analyst
Reporting To: Manager, Sales & Operational Planning
Company: JustFoodForDogs , LLC
Job Type: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Remote
About JustFoodForDogs
JustFoodForDogs , the #1 vet recommended fresh food for dogs, is dedicated to helping pets live longer, healthier lives through real, whole-food nutrition. Founded in 2010, JustFoodForDogs revolutionized the fresh whole food movement for dogs when it opened the first open-to-the-public kitchen cooking food for dogs. All of our recipes are formulated by veterinarians and made with 100% human-grade ingredients. Today, consumers can find JustFoodForDogs at JustFoodForDogs retail locations, their favorite retailers and on-line at JustFoodForDogs .com. The company’s offerings include daily meals, shelf-stable products, supplements, and treats. To learn more about JustFoodForDogs , visit JustFoodForDogs .com
Position Summary
This is not a traditional planning role. We have built — and continue to evolve — an automated, statistical forecasting system that generates an unconstrained demand forecast at the sellable SKU × customer level, layers in commercial and sales team inputs, and produces a Microsoft Fabric-ready import file each S&OP cycle. The engine runs a model tournament per SKU×customer combination, integrates promotional lift, new distribution, innovation cannibalization, and post-meeting consensus adjustments, and outputs forecast accuracy analytics alongside safety stock recommendations.
We are looking for a Sales & Operational Planning Analyst who is eager to learn, analytically curious, and excited about working at the intersection of data, commercial planning, and supply chain. Reporting to the Sales and Operational Planning Manager , this role is focused on the execution and continuous improvement of the demand planning process — running the engine each cycle, coordinating inputs from commercial and sales teams, maintaining data quality, and helping identify where the forecast can get sharper. You will work closely you’re your Manager, and cross-functional teams to build a planning process that is reliable, transparent, and genuinely useful to the business.
Key Responsibilities
S&OP Demand Cycle Execution
- Run the monthly statistical forecast engine (Python-based) against the latest NetSuite sellable-unit actuals export; validate outputs, investigate anomalies, and ensure data quality before the demand review meeting
- Coordinate template inputs from commercial teams (promotional lift in units or gross/net $), sales teams (new distribution wins), and commercial/innovation teams (new product launch forecasts and cannibalization estimates) — on time, every cycle
- Prepare the layered forecast (Base → Promo → New Distribution → Innovation/Cannibalization → Final) at the channel and category level for the S&OP Manager to present and facilitate in the demand review meeting; participate in the meeting and support the discussion
- Capture post-meeting consensus adjustments with reason codes, apply them through the override template, run the final integration, and import the Fabric file — closing the loop each cycle cleanly
- Maintain the CONFIG section of the engine each month: update the actuals file reference, last actual period, and template inputs as the business evolves
Forecast Analytics & Accuracy
- Monitor and report weighted MAPE (wMAPE) at the business, channel, and customer level — not just a headline number, but a diagnostic that drives action
- Run monthly forecast accuracy analysis comparing the prior-period demand forecast against actualized results; prepare accuracy and bias by channel, category, and top SKUs for review with the S&OP Manager and executive leadership
- Investigate accuracy outliers: distinguish genuine model misses from data gaps (e.g., variety pack SKUs with no sellable-unit history, new distribution ramps not yet in actuals)
- Use the model tournament results (Naive