Job Description:

Here at Rakuten Kobo Inc. we offer a casual working start-up environment and a group of friendly and talented individuals. Our employees rank us highly in terms of commitment to work/life balance. We realize that for our people to be innovative, creative and passionate they need to feel valued and supported. We believe in rewarding all our employees with competitive salaries, performance based annual bonuses, stock options and training opportunities.

If you’re looking for a company that inspires passion, personal, and professional growth – join Kobo and come help us make reading lives better.

The Role:

We are seeking a highly analytical and communicative Global Sales Analyst to join our dynamic Supply Chain team. This role is pivotal in bridging the gap between our supply chain operations and sales & sales operations teams. The ideal candidate will possess strong database management skills, a keen eye for market trends, and a solid understanding of consumer demand and sales forecasting processes. This position involves working closely with multiple internal stakeholders and external retail partners, making it essential for the candidate to be a team player with excellent communication skills. The candidate will be a key contributor to the Toronto Sales Analysis Team.

Job Responsibilities:

POS Analysis

• Collect and consolidate weekly POS data, analyze global sales trends and prepare comprehensive weekly reports
• Ensure timely and accurate POS reporting from Kobo’s global partners
• Identify market trends across countries, categories, SKUs
• Evaluate the impact of promotional and marketing activities on retail sales
• Conduct product life cycle analysis
• Analyze customer sales and inventory information to identify sales opportunities
• Assess inventory levels and weeks of supply, and provide inventory projections for Kobo customers

Demand Forecasting

• Ensure forecasts are accurate and reflective of retail activities
• Maintain internal demand forecast and compare them with sales forecast, analyzing the discrepancies
• Evaluate and measure actual performance against monthly forecast versions
• Collaborate with sales managers to understand market trends and align forecasts accordingly
• Track and analyze promotional plans and results to determine their impact on the forecast
• Understand supply chain and demand planning
• Ensure the forecast maintains appropriate customers’ inventory levels

Process Automation and Report Maintenance

• Produce retail POS reports and analysis on a weekly basis
• Generate actual vs. forecasts and gap reports on a monthly basis
• Understand and evaluate sales risks and opportunities
• Assist with the stock allocation
• Create Year-over-Year performance reports and other ad hoc analyses
• Analyze customer purchasing patterns using eCommerce sales data
• Conduct forecast accuracy analysis

Process & System Improvement

• Identify opportunities for process automation to increase departmental efficiency
• Provide administrative and analytics support for the analysis team during key cross-functional monthly meetings
• Liaise within Kobo Supply Chain and cross-functionally as required

Qualifications:

• 3 -5 years of experience in analytics or similar role
• Post Secondary education in a relevant field
• Strong understanding of global supply chain in a CPG company
• High proficiency in MS Office, particularly advanced Excel, VBA (Excel Macro)
• Experience with SQL, Tableau, PowerShell
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with proven ability for root-cause analysis
• Experience in forecasting and analyzing sales reports for retail or CPG companies
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence senior management decisions and engage with sales managers
• Creative thinker with ability to communicate and present ideas effectively
• A great personality with a passion for dabbling with numbers and process automation

The Perks:

• Flexible hours and hybrid remote working environment
• Subsidized in-office lunches
• Full benefits starting from your first day
• Paid Volunteer days, unlimited sick days, and 3% RRSP matching
• Monthly commuting allowance for those who are hybrid
• Flexible health spending account
• Talent and development training budget
• Free Kobo device + free weekly e-book or audiobook
• Frequent Lunch and Learns Author series
• Weekly Kobo Tech University sessions
• Maternity/paternity leave top up

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.

Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the most advanced global ecommerce companies, with the world’s most innovative e-reading services offering more than 6 million eBooks and audiobooks to 30 million + customers in 190 countries. Kobo delivers the best digital reading experience through creative innovation, award-winning e-readers, and top-ranking mobile apps. Kobo is a part of the Rakuten group of companies.

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations for candidates with disabilities participating in the selection process are available on request. Any information received related to accommodation needs of applicants will be addressed confidentially.

Rakuten Kobo would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted.

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