Position SummaryThe Materials Planning Specialist (Strategic Sourcing) plays a critical role in ensuring the right packaging materials are available to support production while minimizing inventory risk and financial loss. This position partners closely with Procurement, Supply Planning, Marketing, Manufacturing, and external suppliers to manage packaging inventory, support business initiatives, and drive effective material lifecycle management. The role requires strong analytical capabilities, attention to detail, and the ability to transform data into actionable business insights. You will be challenged to think strategically, work collaboratively, navigate ambiguous situations, and ultimately determine solutions to ensure product supply. This position will work onsite at Nestle Purina headquarters in St. Louis, MO.
- Analyze packaging material inventory and identify risks associated with product changes, promotions, launches, renovations, and discontinuations.
- Utilize SAP, Excel, Anaplan, Power BI, and other analytical tools to forecast packaging material demand and reduce obsolete inventory and write-offs.
- Review production schedules and collaborate with manufacturing and planning teams to ensure material availability.
- Develop and release material orders while coordinating supply requirements with vendors and suppliers.
- Monitor inventory levels and material movement across manufacturing locations to support uninterrupted production.
- Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to develop and execute inventory reduction and material disposition strategies.
- Lead discussions regarding obsolete, excess, and aging inventory, providing recommendations to minimize financial impact.
- Support process improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to automate and streamline planning and inventory management processes.
- Prepare analyses and reports that support inventory management decisions and business performance objectives.
Requirements- Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain or related field
- 1+ years' purchasing, strategic sourcing, supply chain, production planning, demand planning, procurement, packaging, logistics or related experience
The approximate pay range for this position is $77,000-$94,000 annually. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities as well as geographic location. Nestlé offers performance-based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k with Company match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position. Learn more at About Us | Nestlé Careers (nestlejobs.com).
