Associate Planner Jobs in Park Ridge, IL (NOW HIRING)

Avantor is looking for a Senior Demand Planner to play a critical role in driving forecast accuracy and aligning demand plans with commercial strategies, inventory targets, and financial objectives within the Avantor Fluid Handling (AFH) business segment. This position is also especially critical to the distribution make-to-stock business to ensure procurement actions align with inventory planning and commercial strategies.

This position is responsible for developing and managing accurate demand forecasts across multiple ERP systems to support both distribution and manufacturing business units. The Sr. Demand Planner role ensures alignment between supply and demand through proactive exception management, new product introduction planning, and support of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE) processes.

This is a full-time position that can be based out of our Devens, MA or Barrington, IL offices. You will have the opportunity to act as a key liaison between commercial, supply chain, finance, manufacturing, and operations teams. If you have demand planning experience and thrive working in a collaborative environment - let's talk!

How you will thrive and create an impact:

• Provide actionable insights to optimize inventory, service levels, and profitability.

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve statistical and collaborative demand forecasts across multiple ERP platforms.

• Analyze historical data, market trends, and customer insights to ensure forecast accuracy and minimize bias.

• Monitor forecast variances and exceptions, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.

• Ensure data integrity across ERP systems, facilitate master data updates, and execute cross-platform data transfers as needed.

• Support monthly S&OP and bi-weekly S&OE meetings, ensuring alignment between demand, supply, and financial planning objectives.

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to resolve gaps and support strategic decision-making.

• Partner with procurement, production, and logistics teams to ensure operational feasibility of demand plans.

• Communicate risks, opportunities, and actionable insights to stakeholders proactively.

• Drive process enhancements and leverage advanced planning tools to improve forecast accuracy and efficiency.

• Support digital transformation initiatives, including adoption of advanced analytics and visualization platforms.

• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support business objectives.

What we're looking for:

• Education:
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Mathematics or a related discipline or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience:

• 3+ years of experience in demand planning or supply chain management, preferably in multi-ERP environments utilizing advanced forecasting systems/tools.

• Strong knowledge of S&OP/S&OE processes and best practices.

• Extensive Knowledge of Supply Chain Management is required.

• Additional Qualifications:

• Advanced analytical skills with proficiency in ERP systems and forecasting tools; experience with data visualization platforms (e.g. Power BI) preferred.

• Excellent communication and leadership skills for influencing cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.

• Ability to interpret complex data and communicate to all levels of the organization.

• APICS CPIM certification preferred; experience with AI-driven or machine learning forecasting tools is a plus.

• Must have strong analytical skills including advanced use of MS Access, Excel, SQL and programming in VBA or similar languages.

• Able to interpret complex data to all levels of the organization.

• Able to apply Six Sigma techniques for structured problem solving and process improvements.

• Ability to teach and transfer skills to team members and general audiences.

• Ability to interact and communicate complex concepts with all levels of the organization.

• Possesses strong knowledge of process mapping.

• Strong analytical, communication and multi-tasking skills.

Environmental Working Conditions & Physical Effort:

Typically works in an office environment with adequate lighting and ventilation and a normal range of temperature and noise level.

While examining the processes at a warehouse, associate could be exposed to an industrial environment; i.e. the associate may work near loud moving mechanical machinery and maybe exposed to dust, fumes, or gases.

Work assignments are diversified. Examples of past precedent are used to resolve work problems. New alternatives may be developed to resolve problems.

A frequent volume of work and deadlines impose strain on routine basis.

Minimal physical effort is required. Work is mostly sedentary but does require walking, standing, bending, reaching, lifting or carrying objects that typically weigh less than 10 lbs.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Why Avantor?

Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life-changing science.
The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor.
We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world. Apply today!

Pay Transparency:

The expected pre-tax pay for this position is

Actual pay may differ depending on relevant factors such as prior experience and geographic location.

EEO Statement:

We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at recruiting@avantorsciences.comand let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the Know Your Rights poster.

Privacy Policy:

We will use the personal information that you have submitted to us in order to consider your application for the relevant role.

Your privacy is important to us. Please click here for our Privacy Policy which explains the purposes for which we will use your personal information and the ways in which we will handle and retain your information. It also explains the rights you have in relation to your information, and how to contact us with any queries or requests.

3rd Party Non-Solicitation Policy:

By submitting candidates without having been formally assigned on and contracted for a specific job requisition by Avantor, or by failing to comply with the Avantor recruitment process, you forfeit any fee on the submitted candidates, regardless of your usual terms and conditions. Avantor works with a preferred supplier list and will take the initiative to engage with recruitment agencies based on its needs and will not be accepting any form of solicitation.