Senior Demand and Inventory Planner
Company Overview: Field is a family-owned global supplier of fasteners, "C" commodities, inventory management services, and technical support. We currently have locations in Rockford, IL (headquarters), Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Mexico, and Taiwan. For over 30 years, Field has grown an average of 19% annually because of its dedication to lowering our customers overall cost and improving quality through a technical approach to fasteners. By joining Field, you will experience an exceptional culture built on Integrity, Commitment, Teamwork, Innovation, Flexibility, and Fun! Field was recognized by INC. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately owned companies in the USA. Field has been recognized nationally by Great Places to Work as one of the Best Small Companies in America, ranking #8 nationally among small companies and #5 nationally among manufacturing/production companies. For several years, Field has been recognized locally by the Rockford Register Star as one of the top Employers in the area. At Field, having a great culture is more than a priority – it’s everything. For more information about our culture and company, please watch this Culture Video. All full-time positions at Field are eligible for benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401(k), Life Coaching, paid Vacation, paid Holidays, paid Volunteer Time, quarterly Bonuses, and more! Visit our Careers page for a complete list of benefit offerings.
Position Summary: The Demand Planner is responsible for creating a reliable, data‑driven demand signal that enables the business to balance service, inventory, and working capital—especially in an OEM/VMI environment with erratic and project‑based usage. This role sits at the intersection of Sales/Account Management, Purchasing, Commodity Management, and Operations. The Demand Planner owns the forecast, the assumptions behind it, and the process discipline that turns noise into an actionable plan. This role does not own customer relationships or place purchase orders. The Demand Planner interacts with cross-functional teams and will need to be confident to drive decisions and challenge input without direct leadership oversight of those individuals. The teams will include Account Management, Sales, Sourcing, Finance and Leadership.
This position reports to: V.P. of Supply Chain This position has direct reports: No Location: Rockford, IL FLSA Hourly/Salary: Starting Salary range $70,000-$90,000
Essential Functions: Commit to FIELD’s Mission Statement, Core Values, and Fieldamentals.
Develop rolling forecasts (12–24 months) at SKU / customer / location level and own the execution and communication to the team
Segment demand (stable, intermittent, project, lifecycle)
Incorporate customer programs, EOLs, launches, and engineering changes
Maintain forecast accuracy and bias metrics
Ownership of ABC Classification and management
Owns statistical and collaborative forecasts
Prepare demand inputs for monthly planning cadence
Present risks, upside, downside, and confidence ranges to VP of Supply Chain, Executive Vice President and/or President.
Align demand plan with inventory and supply strategies
Translate OEM signals (consumption, schedules, forecasts) into actionable demand
Define min/max, safety stock logic, and replenishment triggers
Identify customers/items where VMI is inappropriate
Recommends stocking vs non‑stocking classifications
Partner with Inventory Optimization tools and consultants
Recommend stocking policies by SKU class
Identify excess, obsolete, and slow‑moving inventory drivers
Escalates gaps between demand and supply
Act as the single source of truth for demand assumptions
Document forecast changes and rationale
Drive accountability to one agreed plan
Primary Metrics include: Forecast Accuracy (MAPE / WAPE), Forecast Bias, Demand Plan Adherence, Inventory Turns above 3.5 by 2030 without eroding margin, Service Level / Fill Rate, Excess & Obsolete Inventory, Expedites caused by forecast error
Education, Skills and Experience Required: High School diploma or GED equivalent
Polite and professional manner.
3-5 years of forecasting experience
Advanced Excel (forecasting, pivots, data modeling).
Experience with demand planning / inventory tools
Understanding of intermittent and lumpy demand
Ability to synthesize imperfect and conflicting data into a clear plan
Understanding of lead times, MOQs, and constraints
Financial acumen related to inventory and working capital
Comfortable with ambiguity and imperfect data
Strong communicator who can challenge assumptions
Process‑driven but pragmatic
Strong in mathematics
Statistical modeling experience
Use Supply Chain Management (SCM) principles to comprehend and influences that affect inventory demand forecasting.
Additional Skills Preferred: OEM / industrial distribution experience preferred.
Vendor Managed Inventory.
Working knowledge of ERP systems, preferably Prophet 21.
Working knowledge of threaded fasteners is preferred.
Some knowledge of “C” class items is beneficial.
Previous fastener distribution and/or fastener manufacturing experience, beneficial.
CPIM certification
2-5 years in buying / analysis/ supply chain
Power Bi experience
SQL experience
Data Scientist background
Bachelor Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Mathematics, Statistics
Python and/or R experience.
Field provides equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Please view our Texting privacy policy here : https://1976772.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/1976772/Privacy%20Policy%20%20Employ%20-%20Texting%20Field%20Fastener.pdf
and our Terms of Service agreement here. https://1976772.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/1976772/TOS-%20Employ%20-%20Field%20Fastener.pdf