Position Summary:

Penn Foster Group is seeking an experienced and data-savvy Marketing Demand Planning Manager to lead the development, optimization, and communication of consumer demand forecasts that power Marketing acquisition efforts and support financial planning across the business. Reporting to the VP of Performance Marketing, this highly cross-functional role partners closely with teams across Marketing, Analytics, Finance, Product, Web, and Engineering to ensure forecasts reflect the latest data, market conditions, and system performance

The ideal candidate is comfortable working with large data sets, experienced in forecasting the impact of media spend, seasonality, and category trends, and fluent in the language of performance marketing. You’ll be responsible for connecting the dots across business drivers and helping the organization anticipate and react to changes in consumer behavior, campaign strategy, and technical platform performance.

Essential Job Functions:

Forecasting & Process Ownership:

• Own the daily demand forecast and reporting, providing near-term visibility into consumer acquisition trends and informing tactical adjustments across Marketing and Admissions.
• Lead the creation of the annual demand forecast and quarterly reforecasts, partnering closely with Finance to ensure alignment with strategic goals, budget planning, and long-range projections.
• Build and maintain dynamic forecasting models across multiple brands, channels, verticals, and payment types that scale with business complexity.
• Design and implement forecasting processes that are accurate, timely, transparent, and responsive to change.

Paid Media & Strategic Alignment:

• Leverage deep understanding of paid media channels (search, social, programmatic, affiliate, etc.) to forecast customer acquisition based on media investment, campaign mix, and ROI.
• Factor in category trends, historical seasonality, product releases, and evolving marketing strategies to drive accuracy and foresight in demand projections.
• Collaborate with Marketing leadership to continuously integrate updates related to spend, testing, GTM changes, and channel shifts.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work with Analytics to ensure demand forecasts reflect the most current trends, behavioral data, and acquisition funnel insights.
• Partner with Product, Web, and Engineering teams to monitor changes to customer experience, website functionality, and enrollment platforms—proactively updating forecasts to reflect system-related impacts.
• Coordinate closely with Finance on budgeting, quarterly reforecasting, and scenario planning efforts.
• Lead discovery with Finance on pricing impacts to demand
• Align with Admissions and Product teams to ensure forecasts support downstream operational readiness and capacity planning.

Performance Monitoring & Communication:

• Conduct variance analysis on forecast vs. actual performance to identify key drivers and refine assumptions.
• Deliver clear, actionable insights to senior leadership through regular forecast updates and scenario planning presentations.
• Facilitate recurring forecast review meetings with stakeholders to ensure transparency, alignment, and agility in response to changing conditions.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Required qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in demand planning, forecasting, or performance marketing analytics—preferably in a consumer-focused or digital-first environment.
• Demonstrated expertise with paid media forecasting and familiarity with digital marketing metrics (e.g., CPL, ROAS, CTR, CVR) and platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adwords, TradeDesk, and Nielsen Data).
• Strong understanding of seasonal patterns, media dynamics, and how category trends impact consumer behavior.
• Proficiency in Excel and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau); experience with forecasting software/tools preferred.
• Proven success working cross-functionally with technical, analytical, and operational teams to integrate diverse inputs into actionable forecasts.
• Excellent communication skills and comfort presenting to senior stakeholders

Preferred Attributes:

• SQL experience preferred but not required
• Experience in Education, EdTech, or subscription-based businesses is a strong plus.
• Self-starter with a sense of ownership and the ability to manage multiple workstreams with high accountability.
• Thrives in fast-paced, data-rich environments with evolving priorities and frequent cross-functional collaboration.
• Mission-aligned mindset with a passion for helping learners succeed