Demand Planner - Burnaby, BC

Job summary

The Demand Planner will develop accurate demand forecasts using sales trends and market insights to optimize inventory levels and product availability. They will collaborate across multiple departments to align supply with customer demand and manage the end-to-end product life cycle.

Job details

Location: This hybrid role requires 3 days on-site at our Burnaby, BC office and 2 days remote per week. Welcome to Specsavers – where we’re not just about eyecare and eyewear, but changing lives through better sight. Ranked the 5th Best Workplace™ in Canada and 12th globally by Great Place to Work®, we’re proud of our optometrist-owned model that makes high-quality, eyecare and eyewear accessible to all Canadians. Founded 40 years ago in the UK by visionary husband and wife optometry duo Doug and Mary Perkins, Specsavers has remained privately owned since day one. Today, we are a $7.8 billion global business with over 45,000 colleagues across more than 2,700 retail optical locations. In Canada, our support office is based in Burnaby, BC. Since entering the market in 2021, we’ve been scaling rapidly, now with over 270 locations nationwide. With advanced clinical equipment and a wide range of affordable, high-quality eyewear, we’re transforming the way Canadians experience eyecare. If you’re passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a values-driven organization, join us as we continue to grow. Together, we can change lives through better sight. What You’ll Do Join a collaborative Demand Planning team at the heart of the supply chain, where you'll turn data into action and help ensure the right products are available when customers need them. Using sales trends, market insights, and business intelligence, you'll develop accurate demand forecasts that drive inventory decisions, maximise product availability, reduce costs, and minimise excess stock. Working closely with teams across Product, Business Development, Retail, Marketing, Manufacturing & Distribution, and Finance, you'll play a key role in aligning supply with customer demand and enabling smarter business decisions. You'll also build strong relationships with external suppliers, helping to optimise inventory performance and support smooth operations across the business. Reporting to the Demand Planning Manager, you'll be part of a close-knit Canadian Demand Planning team with the opportunity to contribute within a broader global Supply Chain organisation. Key Responsibilities Prepare 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 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. Experience with Power Query, Power Automate and Power BI. 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 Compensation: $70,000 - $80,000 base salary, plus quarterly bonus, profit sharing, and benefits. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience Speccies’ Benefits 4 weeks of vacation and 1 paid volunteer day per year 1 extra paid day off plus an eyecare voucher to celebrate your birthday. Health and dental benefits, RRSP matching and a Healthcare Spending Account active from your first day. Mental health and wellbeing support, including $3,000 annually for practitioner care and access to our Employee Assistance Program. Quarterly bonuses, based on your performance. Annual Profit Share program to recognize your part in Specsavers’ success. Free parking, access to the building gym, and a fully stocked kitchen with snacks and coffee/tea. On‑site wellness offerings in-office, including RMT and yoga sessions. Team and company social events, including holiday and annual celebrations. Behaviours We Value Collaborative: We work together as one Specsavers to deliver on 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 for the long term We hope that in applying with us, you value these things as well! Our Hybrid Work Model Experience the best of both worlds. At Specsavers, we embrace a hybrid approach that balances in-office collaboration with the flexibility to work from home. We come together in office three days a week to connect, innovate, and keep our culture thriving. 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 by contacting us at careers.ca@specsavers.com . We will work with you to meet your needs and ensure a fair and equitable experience. #LI-ED1 #LI-Hybrid

What you’ll do

The Demand Planner will develop accurate demand forecasts using sales trends and market insights to optimize inventory levels and product availability. They will collaborate across multiple departments to align supply with customer demand and manage the end-to-end product life cycle.

Requirements

Candidates must have 3+ years of experience in demand or supply planning with strong data analysis and reporting capabilities. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, ERP systems, and data tools like Power BI is required, along with excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Benefits

• Vacation
• Volunteer day
• Birthday leave
• Health benefits
• Dental benefits
• RRSP matching
• Healthcare spending account
• Mental health support
• Employee assistance program
• Quarterly bonuses
• Profit share program
• Free parking
• Gym access
• Wellness offerings

Listed skills

• Power BI · Preferred
• ERP systems · Preferred
• Problem solving · Preferred
• Data analysis · Preferred
• Microsoft Excel · Preferred
• Reporting · Preferred
• Critical Thinking · Preferred
• Inventory management · Preferred
• Stakeholder Management · Preferred
• Supply Planning · Preferred
• Forecasting · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Demand planning
• Supply planning
• Forecasting
• Data analysis
• Inventory management
• Microsoft Excel
• Power BI
• Power Query
• Power Automate
• ERP systems
• Reporting
• KPI tracking
• Stakeholder management
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Courage
• Workplace Inclusivity
• Management Reporting
• Supply Chain
• Demand Planning
• Microsoft Power Automate
• Curiosity
• Business Decisions
• Supply Chain Planning
• Compassion
• Planning
• Data Analysis
• Mental Health
• Business Intelligence
• Business Development
• Management
• Business Reporting
• Decision Making
• Customer Service
• Continuous Availability
• Critical Thinking
• Customer Demand Planning
• Demand Forecasting
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Finance
• Experimentation
• Sales
• Standard Operating Procedure
• Marketing
• Interpersonal Communications
• Inventory Management System
• Problem Solving
• Operations
• Purchasing

Job areas

• Logistics
• Retail
• Data & Analytics
• Manufacturing
• Management & Leadership
• Demand Planner
• Buyers
• Logisticians

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