NOTE: This job is no longer available!
Demand Planning Manager
at EA
Sydney, Australia
ENTERTAINING IS OUR PASSION
We’re EA—the world’s largest video game publisher. You’re probably familiar with many of our titles—Madden, FIFA, The Sims, Need for Speed, Dead Space, Battlefield, and Star Wars, to name but a few. But maybe you don’t know how we’re committed to creating games for every platform—from social to mobile to console—to give our consumers that Anytime, Anywhere access they demand. What does that mean for you? It means more opportunities to unleash your creative genius, be inspired by those leading their fields, and ignite your path in any direction you choose.
The Marketing and Sales teams are critical to the success of any game. The Marketing team works closely with game developers to ensure the game has a clear design and a clear ‘X’ factor, (i.e., the defining element of the game that makes it unique and the ultimate reason behind why our customers should pay for and play our game). The Marketing team identifies the key audience for our games and tailors the marketing strategy to communicate clearly to the intended target. The Sales team is responsible for making sure the game reaches all relevant distribution points, so that our customers can find our games at their favorite shopping destinations.
Role Overview
The Demand Planning Manager (DPM) is the driver behind sell-through and sell-in forecasts that integrate into both EA’s Financial and Operational processes in the Asia Pacific (APAC) Publishing Organization. This position has responsibility for ensuring that high quality forecasts (Units and Revenue) are created by leveraging product and market knowledge, a structured process, use of EA’s Demand aggregation tool; Demantra, and cross-functional inputs from Sales, Marketing, Finance and Operations. This is a regional role, where the DPM will create detailed sell-through and sell-in forecasts for the Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) business, extrapolate to smaller markets such as South Africa and Central Asia, and integrate a forecast for Japan completed by a local counterpart.
Reports to:
Head of Business Intelligence, APAC, based in Sydney
Key Job Responsibilities:
Forecasting:
- To develop and deliver accurate, high quality Sell Through and Sell In forecasts for all assigned APAC packaged and digital products (SKU’s) at the Business Unit (Market) level within the Annual /Monthly / Weekly demand planning cycles.
- Interpret cross-functional inputs for the Demand Forecast with particular attention to Market Data, Competitor Analysis, Game usage data (telemetry), PR and social media ‘buzz’ and Pre-Sales.
- Be able to forecast at the APAC sell-thru and sell-in level for titles 18-24 months out, then convert to Market level as the product gets closer to launch.
- Generate pre-sell targets, Week 1 sell-thru forecast and subsequent week’s sell-through curves for ANZ which are used to determine sell-in and extrapolate to smaller markets.
- Make recommendations on pricing and promotional strategy, for ANZ and where appropriate, the rest of APAC.
- Work closely with Operations on a weekly and monthly basis to identify new products, review builds, check weeks of cover on core titles, help identify when to delist products etc
- Work closely with Finance on the monthly financial forecast process, where the sell-in units and price from Demantra will be the key input.
- Ensure key stakeholders, both local and global, receive timely reporting on the actual vs forecast sell-in and sell-thru.
- Continue to improve the process, tools, and engagement with aim of increasing forecast accuracy.
Leadership:
- Play a key role in the adoption process for the tool Demantra and the new Demand Planning process
- Be able to appraise titles objectively, and interpret product and marketing information into tangible impacts to the forecast
- Liaise with Sales, Marketing and Senior Management on the forecast, being a very active participant in the Demand Review meetings
- Work closely with European and North American counterparts to help drive consistency in the way EA is forecasting its products, where appropriate
Position Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree plus 5 years of Demand Planning or Sales and Marketing analytics experience
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of New Product Introduction, Life Cycle Management and Event driven promotional management
- Strong general knowledge of the game/entertainment/software industry - Hands on Gaming experience a must.
- Knowledge of forecasting/demand planning software would be an advantage, Demantra preferred.
- Strong quantitative and analysis skills
- Ability to effectively interact and influence cross-functional senior and executive management.
- Strong Microsoft Office skills, in particular advanced Excel
We’re EA—the world’s largest video game publisher. You’re probably familiar with many of our titles—Madden, FIFA, The Sims, Need for Speed, Dead Space, Battlefield, and Star Wars, to name but a few. But maybe you don’t know how we’re committed to creating games for every platform—from social to mobile to console—to give our consumers that Anytime, Anywhere access they demand. What does that mean for you? It means more opportunities to unleash your creative genius, be inspired by those leading their fields, and ignite your path in any direction you choose.
The Marketing and Sales teams are critical to the success of any game. The Marketing team works closely with game developers to ensure the game has a clear design and a clear ‘X’ factor, (i.e., the defining element of the game that makes it unique and the ultimate reason behind why our customers should pay for and play our game). The Marketing team identifies the key audience for our games and tailors the marketing strategy to communicate clearly to the intended target. The Sales team is responsible for making sure the game reaches all relevant distribution points, so that our customers can find our games at their favorite shopping destinations.
Role Overview
The Demand Planning Manager (DPM) is the driver behind sell-through and sell-in forecasts that integrate into both EA’s Financial and Operational processes in the Asia Pacific (APAC) Publishing Organization. This position has responsibility for ensuring that high quality forecasts (Units and Revenue) are created by leveraging product and market knowledge, a structured process, use of EA’s Demand aggregation tool; Demantra, and cross-functional inputs from Sales, Marketing, Finance and Operations. This is a regional role, where the DPM will create detailed sell-through and sell-in forecasts for the Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) business, extrapolate to smaller markets such as South Africa and Central Asia, and integrate a forecast for Japan completed by a local counterpart.
Reports to:
Head of Business Intelligence, APAC, based in Sydney
Key Job Responsibilities:
Forecasting:
- To develop and deliver accurate, high quality Sell Through and Sell In forecasts for all assigned APAC packaged and digital products (SKU’s) at the Business Unit (Market) level within the Annual /Monthly / Weekly demand planning cycles.
- Interpret cross-functional inputs for the Demand Forecast with particular attention to Market Data, Competitor Analysis, Game usage data (telemetry), PR and social media ‘buzz’ and Pre-Sales.
- Be able to forecast at the APAC sell-thru and sell-in level for titles 18-24 months out, then convert to Market level as the product gets closer to launch.
- Generate pre-sell targets, Week 1 sell-thru forecast and subsequent week’s sell-through curves for ANZ which are used to determine sell-in and extrapolate to smaller markets.
- Make recommendations on pricing and promotional strategy, for ANZ and where appropriate, the rest of APAC.
- Work closely with Operations on a weekly and monthly basis to identify new products, review builds, check weeks of cover on core titles, help identify when to delist products etc
- Work closely with Finance on the monthly financial forecast process, where the sell-in units and price from Demantra will be the key input.
- Ensure key stakeholders, both local and global, receive timely reporting on the actual vs forecast sell-in and sell-thru.
- Continue to improve the process, tools, and engagement with aim of increasing forecast accuracy.
Leadership:
- Play a key role in the adoption process for the tool Demantra and the new Demand Planning process
- Be able to appraise titles objectively, and interpret product and marketing information into tangible impacts to the forecast
- Liaise with Sales, Marketing and Senior Management on the forecast, being a very active participant in the Demand Review meetings
- Work closely with European and North American counterparts to help drive consistency in the way EA is forecasting its products, where appropriate
Position Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree plus 5 years of Demand Planning or Sales and Marketing analytics experience
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of New Product Introduction, Life Cycle Management and Event driven promotional management
- Strong general knowledge of the game/entertainment/software industry - Hands on Gaming experience a must.
- Knowledge of forecasting/demand planning software would be an advantage, Demantra preferred.
- Strong quantitative and analysis skills
- Ability to effectively interact and influence cross-functional senior and executive management.
- Strong Microsoft Office skills, in particular advanced Excel