Demand Planning Lead

How to Apply: Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the M-KOPA Solar careers page on jobs.ashbyhq.com. Visit the application link provided on this page to submit your application.

Prove You Can Tame SKU-Level Chaos Before You Talk Forecasting Models

Demand planning interviews at M-KOPA will not reward generic supply chain talk. They want someone who can walk into a room with commercial and finance teams, defend a forecast number, and explain exactly what changed in the data. Your CV and interview stories need to show you have done that under real pressure.

1. Quantify forecast accuracy wins: Put numbers on your CV. Instead of saying you improved forecast accuracy, write that you raised SKU-level forecast accuracy from 72% to 88% across a portfolio of 400 SKUs within two quarters. Hiring managers for this role scan for evidence that you measure your own impact. Bring one example where you diagnosed a variance, found the root cause, and corrected the model.

2. Master the monthly planning cycle story: The job description calls out leading the monthly demand planning cycle with exception-based planning. Prepare a step-by-step walkthrough of how you ran that cycle in a previous role: data cut-off, sales input review, exception flags, SKU-level submission, and sign-off. Be ready to explain how you handled a commercial team that insisted on a rosy forecast you knew was wrong.

3. Speak the language of inventory trade-offs: You will be expected to balance product availability against cost exposure. Practice explaining how you set safety stock levels for slow-moving versus fast-moving items. Use a concrete example where you reduced excess inventory without causing stockouts. Interviewers often probe whether you understand the cash impact of over-forecasting, not just the service-level impact of under-forecasting.

4. Show ERP and Excel depth, not just familiarity: The role requires proficiency in Excel and working knowledge of ERP or demand planning systems. Be ready to describe specific functions you use: INDEX-MATCH, pivot tables, Power Query, or statistical forecasting add-ins. If you have used SAP, Oracle, or a dedicated demand planning tool, name it and explain how you pulled data and built reports from it. Vague claims of being 'tech-savvy' will not survive the technical screen.

5. Prepare for root-cause analysis questions: Expect a scenario where a forecast missed badly. Walk through your diagnostic process: was it a data lag, a promotion not captured, a new product introduction, or a market shift? Show that you separate signal from noise. The hiring panel wants to see structured thinking, not blame-shifting. Bring an example where your root-cause analysis led to a process change that prevented repeat errors.

6. Demonstrate cross-functional influence: This role sits between commercial, finance, supply chain, and management. Prepare stories about times you disagreed with a sales director or finance lead and still moved the plan forward. Highlight how you used data, not opinion, to align stakeholders. Mention specific meeting cadences you have run, such as weekly exception reviews or monthly S&OP sessions.

7. Link demand planning to budget and strategy: The job includes contributing to annual budget planning with demand forecasts and cost optimisation insights. Think of an example where your forecast directly shaped a budget decision or prevented an unnecessary spend. Explain how you translated demand assumptions into financial language that finance teams could act on. This separates a planner from a strategic planning lead.

8. Ask about their data maturity: In the interview, ask how demand planning data flows from sales, distribution, and finance into their forecasting models. Ask what the biggest source of forecast error has been in the last year. Their answers will tell you whether you are walking into a well-oiled process or a build-from-scratch situation. It also signals that you think like someone who owns the outcome, not just the spreadsheet.