Inventory Planning Analyst

Role overview

This position focuses on turning analytical findings into practical inventory and planning decisions for Red Bull Canada. The analyst will drive portfolio forecasting, support inventory management from end to end, and work closely with Operations, Trade Marketing, Sales, Brand Marketing, and Distribution to keep forecasts accurate and stock availability optimized.

The role owns Trade Sales forecasting across the complete product range, with the goal of maintaining suitable retail inventory, reducing out-of-stock exposure, and aligning stock positioning with important commercial and promotional periods.

It also covers forecasting for new product launches, including coordination with Brand Marketing, Trade Marketing, Sales, and Distribution to define launch volumes, support key account programs, place product in distributor warehouses, and review performance over time. In addition, this role manages Limited-Time-Offer products throughout their lifecycle, balancing retail sell-through, Out-of-Code exposure, and the transition out of the program at completion.

Forecast planning and insights

SKU-level forecasts will be built using historical sales, seasonality, product lifecycle trends, and statistical techniques such as moving averages, exponential smoothing, and regression-based methods. Forecast models should be continuously improved to increase precision and reduce bias. Inputs from Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Distribution, including promotions, price changes, launches, and market changes, must be combined into a shared demand plan.

The analyst will monitor forecasting measures such as MAPE, WAPE, and forecast bias, investigate drivers of variance, and apply corrective actions to improve future outcomes. Forecasting responsibilities also include new product introductions, end-of-life items, seasonal ranges, and slow-moving SKUs. Where historical data is limited, proxy items or attribute-based modeling should be used. The full lifecycle of LTO items must be managed from initial forecast through final program transition. Scenario analysis should be used to evaluate promotions, supply restrictions, lead-time changes, and demand fluctuations, with practical recommendations to reduce risk and improve inventory placement. Emerging trends such as rising demand, falling velocity, or SKU cannibalization should be identified early and communicated proactively.

Cross-functional collaboration

The role supports monthly Sales & Operations Planning and Integrated Business Planning cycles by preparing demand insights, explaining forecast updates, and aligning on assumptions with cross-functional partners. It acts as a bridge between Sales, Finance, Operations, and Distribution so that everyone shares the same view of demand assumptions, inventory risk, and supply limitations versus planning models.

Partnership with Sales and Marketing is needed to understand promotions, assortment changes, and launches, and to convert business strategies into actionable demand plans. Close coordination with supply planning and logistics is required to communicate changes in demand, prioritize constrained supply, and support allocation, replenishment, and inventory positioning decisions. The role also contributes to continuous improvement by sharing best practices, identifying process gaps, and helping teams adopt more data-led ways of working.

Communication and stakeholder management

Complex analytical findings must be translated into clear business stories using visuals, narrative, and plain-language framing for non-technical audiences. Recommendations should be decision-ready, with trade-offs, scenarios, and the likely effect on service levels, revenue, and working capital clearly explained.

The analyst will lead discussions on portfolio forecast changes, clarify the reasons behind demand shifts, and outline implications for supply, revenue, and margin. Executive stakeholders should be supported with concise scenario analyses, risk reviews, and strategic recommendations.

System inputs and submission process

Finalized inputs must be entered into the Red Bull CPM forecasting system in line with planning cycles and submission deadlines. Data must be formatted and mapped correctly so system fields populate as intended and downstream processes such as forecasting, replenishment, and allocation operate without issues.

System outputs including forecast runs, replenishment recommendations, and allocation results should be reviewed to confirm they match the submitted inputs. Changes and the reasoning behind them must be documented and communicated so stakeholders understand what was entered, why it was entered, and how it affects planning outcomes. Where possible, repetitive input tasks should be streamlined using system functionality, macros, or analytics tools.

Experience and qualifications

This role is best suited to someone with 3 to 4 years of professional experience, ideally in consumer goods or retail. Strong proficiency in Excel is essential, including PivotTables, Power Pivot, lookups, and advanced formulas. The position also requires advanced capability in analytics, forecasting, projections, and estimates, along with a solid grounding in statistics such as descriptive analysis, correlation, regression, hypothesis testing, and inference.

Experience with data visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau is important. The successful candidate should be a collaborative communicator who regularly works with leadership and key business stakeholders. Experience with SAP Spring or another sales data system is an advantage. Exposure to statistical modelling tools such as R or Python is also desirable. A bachelor’s degree is preferred, and an advanced degree is considered a plus.

Compensation and additional information

The annual base salary range for this position is CAD 80,750 to CAD 89,250. The final salary offered will depend on factors such as qualifications, skills, experience, and work location. This role is also eligible for an annual bonus under Red Bull’s bonus plan.

Equal opportunity and accommodations

Red Bull Canada is committed to respecting the dignity and independence of all people and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equal opportunity. Accommodation is available throughout the hiring process, and applicants with disabilities may request accessibility support at any stage of recruitment.