Demand Planner

Overview of the Company

United Wheels Inc. (“UWI”) is an international, privately held business, with affiliated companies and operations in Asia, the Americas and around the world. UWI is a world leader in the design, manufacture and international distribution of bicycles, e-bikes, and rideable toys, manufacturing more than 6 million bicycles and e-Bikes each year.

UWI owns and operates several bicycle-related subsidiaries. These subsidiaries include:

• Huffy Corp. (https://www.huffybikes.com/), the iconic bicycling company based in Dayton, Ohio, with more than 125+ years of bicycling history.
• Buzz Bicycles (https//.buzzbicycles.com)
• Batch Outdoors Inc. (https://www.batchbicycles.com/)
• Niner Brands International Inc. (https://ninerbikes.com/)
• VAAST Bicycles (https://www.vaastbikes.com/)

Summary

The UK/EMEA Demand Planner is responsible for the consensus demand plan within their scope and is accountable for the UWI demand plan for the UK/EMEA region. This role requires close collaboration with Sales, Marketing, and Product Management, including senior leaders, to align on an accurate and unbiased forecast. Plan quality is measured by accuracy, bias, and change frequency, with targets set collaboratively based on past performance and process maturity. As Demand Planning is still evolving, this role will need to balance improving systems and processes with delivering high-quality plans. Timely and accurate forecasts are essential for internal teams, suppliers, B2B customers, and riders. This position reports to the SIOP Leader in Dayton, OH USA, with future potential for advancement as the function matures and the company grows.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the monthly consensus demand plan for assigned parts.
• Review forecast accuracy and bias metrics; identify root causes and apply lessons learned.
• Ensure accuracy of product lifecycle and other key planning master data.
• Analyze historical data and apply basic statistical models to establish baseline forecasts.
• Must demonstrate effective project management abilities, including setting timelines, managing resources, tracking progress, and ensuring project deliverables are completed on time and within scope.”
• Lead Customer Demand Planning meetings to align forecasts with Sales, Marketing, and Product Management for the assigned region.
• Research, generate and share business intelligence to communicate the demand plan to stakeholders.
• Prepare and lead the monthly Demand Consensus Meeting, including data review and meeting facilitation.
• Manage meeting documentation: agenda, minutes, and follow-up actions.
• Participate in regional Sales and Operations Execution (S&OE) meetings with Supply Planning.
• Provide demand analytics to support purchasing decisions and commitments.
• Collaborate with Supply Planning to manage urgent lead time changes before system updates.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Continuous Improvement Projects

• Serve as a key thought leader in standardizing and governing Plan-for-Every-Part master data.
• Actively participate in Kaizen events focused on process improvement.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None at this time.

Education and Experience

• 3+ years of demand planning experience required as a Demand planner for a 1M+ units per year annual sales volume
• Experience with outdoor wheeled or battery-operated products is ideal, not required

Interpersonal and Professional Skills

• Strong strategic and tactical communication with a hands-on, problem-solving mindset.
• Exceptional data analysis skills
• Excellent listening skills to fully understand stakeholder needs.
• Basic root-cause problem-solving capabilities.
• Change management and emotional intelligence to support organizational transitions.
• Effective project management abilities, including setting timelines, managing resources, tracking progress, and ensuring project deliverables are completed on time and within scope

Competencies

• Customer Focus – Aims to satisfy all customers while maintaining effective relationships, both internal and external. Maximizes those relationships to improve personal, department, and organizational performance. Holds co-workers and customers to a similar standard.
• Energy – Have a tremendous amount of energy and passion for our people, products, and brands. Approaches each date willing to take on the day’s challenges. Operating at their individual peak performance without encouragement.
• Energize – Energize teams with enthusiasm and excitement without intimidating them. Projects a positive mental attitude and can-do spirit, who lifts up members of his / her team. Does not get discouraged by setbacks.
• Edge – Have a competitive edge and an overwhelming desire to win. Hates losing and will give 100% commitment to achieving or exceeding their plan. Willing to make difficult decisions, when called upon.
• Execution – Action and performance oriented and are focused on attaining results. A team player who is reliable and follows through on tasks to completion. Attention to details.
• Increases Company Value – Strives to increase sales, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and maximize profits to increase the value of the Company.
• Innovative / Continuous Improvement – Committed to improving processes, products, services, and a willingness to embrace change for the benefit of our team, department, organization, and shareholders.
• Integrity – The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Elevating challenges in order to collaborate with co-workers, SLT, ELT, and the Board.

Language Skills

• Able to read, analyze, and interpret standard supply chain reports and dashboards.
• Capable of responding to sensitive inquiries and presenting complex or controversial topics effectively to senior leadership.

Mathematical Skills

• Proficient in applying fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to real-world scenarios.

Reasoning Ability

• Skilled in problem definition, data collection, and drawing valid conclusions.
• Able to interpret technical instructions in various formats and manage both abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills

• Excel (Intermediate): Pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, standard deviation, basic forecasting formulas.
• PowerPoint (Basic): Creating and editing presentations.
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably JDE Enterprise One.
• Familiar with Business Intelligence tools for reports and dashboards.
• Experience with Advanced and/or Demand Planning systems is a plus.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

None Required.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.