Lead Sales and Operations Planning

Job Summary

The Lead Sales & Operations Planning role serves as a key demand planning subject matter expert for the Parts & Accessories (P&A) business. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining demand forecasts, analyzing business trends, and partnering with cross-functional teams to support the monthly S&OP process.

The role translates sales, marketing, dealer, and product management inputs into actionable demand plans while identifying risks and opportunities that impact inventory, service, and financial performance. The position requires strong analytical capabilities, business acumen, and the ability to effectively influence stakeholders across multiple functions.

This role plays a critical part in supporting product availability, improving forecast accuracy, and enabling profitable growth across aftermarket Parts & Accessories.

Job Responsibilities

• Support forecasting and planning activities related to new product introductions and product transitions.
• Develop and maintain monthly demand forecasts for assigned Parts & Accessories product categories.
• Analyze historical sales trends, seasonality, promotional activity, product lifecycles, and market dynamics to improve forecast quality.
• Monitor forecast accuracy, forecast bias, and demand variability metrics and recommend corrective actions where needed.
• Identify forecast risks and opportunities and communicate potential impacts to business stakeholders.
• Partner closely with business functions to ensure demand plans reflect current conditions and future opportunities while driving cross-functional alignment and collaboration without direct authority.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while applying strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills to support business objectives and decision-making.
• Lead category-level demand reviews as part of the monthly S&OP process, providing insights and recommendations to support inventory and replenishment strategies.
• Partner with Supply Planning to balance inventory, service levels, and operational objectives while ensuring alignment between demand forecasts, inventory plans, and financial expectations.
• Manage product lifecycle planning by monitoring product phase-ins and phase-outs to identify inventory risks and providing analytical support for major product launches, seasonal programs, and strategic initiatives.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance forecasting methodologies, reporting tools, and planning processes; supporting planning system enhancements; sharing best practices; and serving as a resource and mentor within the Demand Planning organization.

Education Requirements

Education and Experience Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, inventory management, supply chain planning, or Sales & Operations Planning.
• Strong understanding of forecasting techniques and demand planning principles.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience working with ERP and planning systems (SAP, SO99+, Kinaxis, Blue Yonder, o9, Anaplan, Just Enough, or similar platforms).

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Analytics, Operations, or a related field.
• APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP, or related certification).
• Experience within powersports, automotive, aftermarket parts, consumer products, retail, or durable goods industries.
• Experience supporting Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes.
• Experience with business intelligence and reporting tools such as Power BI, Fabric, Tableau, or similar platforms.
• Knowledge of dealer distribution networks and seasonal inventory planning.