Demand Planning Associate

Company Overview Ancient Crunch Inc. is the fastest-growing healthy snack brand in the U.S. Our flagship product, MASA Chips, is the #1 selling tallow-fried tortilla chips in premium retailers like Erewhon. We manufacture all MASA products in-house at our Hackettstown facility using real ingredients—no seed oils, artificial flavors, or preservatives. All operations adhere to strict Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and food safety standards. Reports To: Sales Planning & Insights Location: Remote Direct Reports: None anticipated, though direct reports may be added or removed based on operational needs Position Summary The Demand Planning Associate plays a critical role in the business planning process, supporting the development of accurate, data-driven demand forecasts across our portfolio of brands and SKUs. This role serves as a bridge between Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain, ensuring that commercial insights are translated into actionable volume plans that drive service levels, inventory efficiency, and revenue performance. The ideal candidate is analytically strong, comfortable working with large datasets, and capable of communicating cross-functionally in a fast-paced consumer goods environment. The responsibilities listed below are not exhaustive. As Ancient Crunch scales, the requirements of this position will expand and adapt. The Demand Planning Associate is expected to lead new initiatives and assume additional duties consistent with this title and the long-term evolution of our sales strategy. Key Responsibilities Forecast Development & Maintenance Build and maintain baseline statistical forecasts at the SKU/customer/channel level using demand planning software in Vividly / Web Integrated. Incorporate promotional plans, new item launches, distribution changes, and seasonality into consensus forecasts. Conduct monthly forecast review cycles in partnership with Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain stakeholders. Monitor and analyze forecast accuracy and drive continuous improvement initiatives. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with Account Managers and Retail Marketing to capture retailer-level demand signals and promotional calendars. Align with Supply Planning on inventory positioning, safety stock, and replenishment strategies. Support the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), preparing pre-read materials and facilitating monthly demand review meetings. Collaborate with Finance partners on volume-to-revenue bridging and financial forecast alignment. Data Analysis & Reporting Analyze POS/syndicated data (IRI, Nielsen, SPINS) alongside shipment and order data to identify demand trends and anomalies. Develop and maintain dashboards and KPI reporting for forecast accuracy, fill rate, and inventory health. Identify root causes of forecast deviations and communicate findings with recommended corrective actions. New Item & Promotional Planning Support new SKU launch forecasting by leveraging analogous item history, customer commitments, and market sizing inputs in conjunction with your sales planning partner. Track post-promotional performance versus plan and apply learnings to future cycles. Process & System Improvement Identify opportunities to enhance forecast modeling, data inputs, and planning workflows. Support system implementations and upgrades related to demand planning tools. Document standard operating procedures. Qualifications Required 1–3 years of experience in demand planning, supply chain, sales analytics, or a related CPG function. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, scenario modeling); experience with BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) a plus. Exposure to demand planning or ERP systems. Familiarity with syndicated data platforms (IRI/Circana, Nielsen, SPINS). Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail. Clear communicator with the ability to present data insights to non-technical stakeholders. Preferred Experience supporting an S&OP or IBP process in a CPG, food & beverage, or FMCG environment. Understanding of retail supply chain dynamics including DSD, warehouse distribution, and category management. Experience with trade promotion management (TPM) tools or Revenue Growth Management frameworks. What We Offer Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance A health and wellness-focused culture All the chips you can eat! Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) & Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement Ancient Crunch Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions at Ancient Crunch Inc.—including hiring, promotion, discipline, or discharge—are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. In accordance with the ADA, we provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so creates an undue hardship for the company. Applicants requiring accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the HR Department.