Demand Planner

Location: This hybrid role requires 3 days on-site at our Burnaby, BC office and 2 days remote per week.

Salary: $70,000 - $85,000

Actual compensation within the range will be based on experience
We also offer quarterly variable compensation package (bonus) + benefits

About Specsavers

Welcome to Specsavers - where we're not just about eyewear and eyecare, we're a purpose-driven organization committed to changing lives through better sight. Ranked as the 11th Best Workplace™ in Canada and 16th Best Workplace™ in the world by Great Place to Work®, we take pride in our optometrist-owned business model, providing quality eyecare and affordable eyewear to Canadians across the country.

Our journey began 40 years ago in the UK, with visionary optometrists Doug and Mary Perkins. Today, we support over 2,700 healthcare businesses, passionately caring for more than 44 million patients and customers worldwide.

At Specsavers, we believe that access to quality eyecare should be a right, not a luxury. That's why we go above and beyond to transform the eyecare experience in Canada. With our advanced clinical equipment and an extensive range of affordable and high-quality eyewear, we're here to make a real difference in the lives of our customers.

But that’s not all - we're also dedicated to fostering a positive, inclusive and supportive work culture. We strive to create an environment where our partners thrive while benefiting from the collective support and resources of our dedicated teams.

If you're passionate about making a difference, providing incredible care, and being part of a values and purpose-driven organization, join us on our journey to revolutionize the way Canadians experience eyecare. Together, we can change lives through better sight.

What You’ll Do

Purpose of the role

The role of the Demand Planning team is to drive supply chain efficiency by ensuring the right products are available at the right time, in the right quantity. The team is responsible for analysing sales trends, maintaining accurate demand forecasts, and supporting inventory and purchasing decisions. By providing reliable data and insights, the team helps align supply with customer demand, minimize stockouts and excess inventory, and support smooth operations across the business.

This position is responsible for forecasting accurately, optimizing inventory levels, reducing costs, and maximising stakeholder and customer satisfaction.  Fostering relationships with external suppliers. Collaborating with all stakeholders, including Product, Business Development, Retail, Marketing, Manufacturing & Distribution, Finance, and other relevant departments to ensure accurate demand forecasts, effective inventory management and timely flow of information to enable effective decision making to maximise availability and minimise excess. Responsible for producing quality demand forecasts utilising historical data, market trends, and other internal and external factors that will influence demand.  

Key Responsibilities

• Produce quality demand forecasts for products in line with purchasing cycles and continuously evaluate and improve forecast processes and methodologies.  Proactively communicate forecast changes to relevant stakeholders and measure accuracy to target low performing categories and improve results.
• Continually review inventory targets and demand levels for the territory ensuring they meet current business risk profiles.
• Manage the end to end life-cycle of products from inception to discontinuation, collaborate with Product, Business Development and Retail teams ensuring timely delivery for launch and provide insights and recommendations for appropriate sell-through at discontinuation to minimize write off.
• Review and communicate availability issues and risks ensuring appropriate platforms reflect current availability.
• Manage the distribution of stock within the supply chain in accordance with changes to manufacturing and distribution capacities, business growth objectives, and seasonal trends.
• Collaborate with suppliers and foster mutually beneficial relationships and facilitate order placement and scheduling of orders to ensure continuous availability, pulling and pushing orders as required.
• Liaise with Inbound Planning team to ensure smooth flow of goods through the supply chain.
• Oversee various data points and utilise disparate data sets to create consolidated reporting to extract meaningful insights to inform decision making.
• Monitor/Maintain key reports used across the function to measure and improve performance, including but not limited to demand data, service data, despatch data, returns data, and localised inventory master data.
• Perform ad-hoc data analysis; extract, manipulate and report, to aid key decision-making processes and meet management requests.
• Collaborate and support on entry into new markets outside of existing territories.
• Document and maintain standard operating procedures.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• 2 – 3 years experience in a demand planning or supply planning role with experience of forecasting, demand planning, purchasing and fulfillment.
• Demonstrated capacity to analyse significant quantities of data across different system and proven ability to handle management reporting, KPI reporting and interpretation of performance data in a confidential and appropriate manner.
• IT literate, with highly advanced Microsoft Excel and data handling skills.
• Experience using ERP or inventory management systems.
• Customer-focused and highly organized; genuinely enjoys answering questions and solving problems through an effective and creative approach.
• Demonstrated capacity to determine priorities, meet strict deadlines and effectively balance competing demands and the ability to work under pressure both independently and as a member of a team.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to prepare and present reports and documentation of high quality and integrity and the capacity to deal with a wide range of clients and colleagues.
• Critical thinker and problem solver
• Able to work and deliver results autonomously, consistently demonstrates a ‘can do’ attitude

Nice to have

• Experience of working within a complex organization.
• Experience in the optical industry.
• Familiarity with reporting or visualization tools (e.g., Power BI)

Our Fellow ‘Speccies’ Enjoy

• Generous vacation allotment and 1 paid volunteer day
• 3 weeks of vacation and 1 paid volunteer day
• 1 extra paid day off and an eyecare voucher on your birthday
• RRSP matching
• Quarterly performance bonus
• Healthcare spending account
• Health and dental benefits effective on your first day
• Team and company social events

Behaviours We Value

• Collaborative: We work together as one Specsavers to deliver our purpose
• Curious: We question, explore, and seek out diverse perspectives to develop our knowledge and understanding
• Courageous: We challenge the status quo, we experiment with good ideas, and we are brave, bold, and fast in our decision making
• Compassionate: We care, support, and help each other
• Commercial: We treat money wisely and make decisions that are good for our customers, our partners, our people, and good for the long term

We hope that in applying with us, you value these things as well!

Our Hybrid Work Model

Be part of the dynamic culture! Our workplace thrives on a hybrid model, combining in-office collaboration and flexibility. Join us in office, three days a week to contribute, connect and excel in our vibrant environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Specsavers, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe that a diverse team enriches our work environment and enables us to achieve our goals. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage candidates of all backgrounds and abilities to apply. If you believe you can contribute to our mission and vision, we welcome your application, even if you don't meet every qualification listed. We value the unique skills and perspectives each individual brings to our team.

Accessibility and Accommodations

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you require accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know. We will work with you to meet your needs and ensure a fair and equitable experience.