Network Planning Specialist

Retail & Consumer Goods
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
  • 2-5+ years in supply chain, demand/supply planning, transportation, or customer service.
  • Experience in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.
  • Strong analytical skills to turn data into actionable decisions.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and familiarity with planning systems.

Responsibilities

  • Own and execute inventory deployment decisions across various locations to meet targets.
  • Proactively identify supply risks through horizon-based analysis.
  • Monitor system alerts and resolve inventory imbalances in a timely manner.
  • Define and govern allocation strategies and segmentation policies.
  • Lead critical allocation decisions, balancing customer service and business priorities.
  • Communicate strategies and risks to senior stakeholders.
  • Develop reporting on key KPIs and lead continuous improvement initiatives.

Benefits

  • 401k with company match
  • Comprehensive healthcare coverage
  • Performance-based incentives
  • Broad range of additional benefits
Full Job Description
Position Summary:

The Network Planner Specialist owns end-to-end inventory deployment, allocation, and network planning decisions to consistently achieve service, cost, and inventory targets.

This role acts as the single point of decision-making authority across deployment, order fulfillment, and network strategy, balancing trade-offs between service levels, working capital, capacity, and waste.

Operating across planning, logistics, and execution teams, this role drives timely, data-informed decisions under uncertainty and ensures alignment between planning assumptions, operational constraints, and business priorities.

Primary Responsibilities

Deployment & Inventory Decision Ownership
  • Own and execute short- and mid-term inventory deployment decisions across plants, DCs, and regions to meet service, cost, and inventory targets
  • Proactively identify supply risks using horizon-based analysis, incorporating inventory levels, inbound timing, QA release status, and capacity constraints.
  • Monitor system alerts, inventory imbalances, and service risks; lead cross-functional resolution efforts. Drive resolution of inventory imbalances and service risks through timely decisions
  • Make trade-off decisions between service, cost, capacity, and waste within defined guardrails

Order Fulfillment & Allocation
  • Define and govern allocation strategies, prioritization rules, and inventory segmentation policies
  • Owns final decision on mitigation strategy in alignment with Order-to-Cash and Commercial inputs.
  • Lead critical allocation decisions during constrained supply situations, balancing customer service and business priorities
  • Communicate allocation strategies, service risks, and mitigation plans to senior stakeholders


Collaboration & Planning Support
  • Actively engage with key stakeholders in key planning forums
  • Influence decision-making by providing data-driven insights and recommendations
  • Ensure alignment between planning assumptions, operational constraints, and business objectives

Reporting & Continuous Improvement
  • Develop and deliver reporting on key KPIs: COF, waste, capacity utilization, supply payload, and redeployment cost
  • Perform root cause analysis on service failures, inventory excess/shortage, and network inefficiencies
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, service improvement, and working capital optimization
  • Conduct scenario modeling and what-if analysis to support strategic decision-making

Master Data & System Optimization
  • Own and maintain network planning master data in planning system to support accurate planning and execution
  • Ensure data integrity to support accurate planning and execution
  • Drive planning system and process improvements to enhance planning efficiency and visibility


Qualifications & Experience
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
  • 2-5+ years of experience in supply chain, demand/supply planning, transportation, or customer service
  • Experience working in fast paced, cross-functional environments.
  • Strong ability to analyze data and turn insights into actions.


Skills
  • Strong analytical and problem solving skills with ability to translate data into actionable decisions.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel required; Power BI preferred) and ability to leverage AI-enabled tools and advance analytics to support planning and decision-making
  • Experience working with planning systems (e.g. SAP, OMP) and data-driven environments.
  • Clear written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong organization and time management skills.
  • Ability to work with large datasets and extract insight to drive business outcomes.
  • Expected to make timely decisions with imperfect data and prioritize solutions over escalation or analysis paralysis


Salary: $75,204.13 to $104,692.55 per year

Bonus Eligibility: Yes

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. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at top of range.

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 https://www.nestlejobs.com/nestle-in-the-us-benefits

About Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA

Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA Careers

There has never been a better time to explore the job opportunities at Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA—the cornerstone of innovation and leadership in the global market.

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Join Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA’s market-leading team to assist some of the world’s most renowned companies in mastering their operational and sustainability goals. Transform businesses and entire industries with the best minds at Nestle, leveraging a unique position in the marketplace at the intersection of technology, industry expertise, and digital innovation. Collaborate with a global team of business and technology advisors to help clients navigate their operational efficiency and sustainability journey. Engage with the largest group of food and beverage experts in the world—thousands of dedicated professionals.

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The initiative is building a market-leading team to help some of the world’s largest and most well-known companies master their operational challenges and sustainability goals with innovative solutions.

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Join the largest group of food and beverage experts in the world—thousands of dedicated professionals at the intersection of technology, industry expertise, and digital innovation.

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Deliver targeted solutions through a depth and breadth of consulting experience and innovation that’s second to none.

Be Part of a Great Team

Work on wide-ranging projects and harness the unparalleled capabilities, global scale, and joint solution development of Nestle’s powerhouse teams.

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