Network Planning Specialist

About the role

Nestlé USA and Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages are seeking a purpose‑driven professional to join the global business as a Network Planner Specialist. This position owns end‑to‑end inventory deployment, allocation, and network planning decisions to consistently achieve service, cost, and inventory targets. It serves 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.

Responsibilities

• Deployment & Inventory Decision Ownership
  • Own and execute short‑ and mid‑term inventory deployment decisions across plants, distribution centers, and regions.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Own 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 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: cost of fulfillment (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 the planning system to support accurate planning and execution.
  • Ensure data integrity for reliable planning outputs.
  • Drive planning‑system and process improvements to enhance planning efficiency and visibility.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required. 2‑5+ years of experience in supply chain, demand/supply planning, transportation, or customer service, preferably 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 advanced analytics.
• Experience with planning systems (e.g., SAP, OMP) and data‑driven environments.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organization and time‑management abilities.
• Ability to work with large datasets and extract insight to drive business outcomes.
• Comfort making timely decisions with imperfect data and prioritizing solutions over escalation.

Pay

Salary range: $75,204.13 – $104,692.55 per year. Bonus eligibility: Yes. The pay range is a good‑faith estimate; final compensation may vary based on knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

Benefits

Nestlé offers a competitive total rewards package, including performance‑based incentives, a 401(k) with company match, healthcare coverage, and a broad range of other benefits. Specific benefit details can be found at Nestlé US Benefits.

This position is not eligible for Visa sponsorship.