Senior Specialist, Data Analytics - Category Planning

About the role

The Data & Analytics Function at Cardinal Health oversees the analytics life-cycle to identify, analyze, and present relevant insights that drive business decisions and anticipate opportunities for competitive advantage. This role sits within the Category Planning team, a strategic business partner embedded in Consumer Health Category Management, dedicated to turning market and performance data into a competitive advantage. By leveraging advanced analytics platforms and business intelligence tools, the team uncovers the story behind the numbers to solve complex commercial challenges, shaping category strategies, influencing product assortments, and driving measurable business growth.

Responsibilities

• Drive the execution of recurring standard reports with consistent timing and formatting, ensuring stakeholders have critical data to stay informed and agile
• Transform ad hoc data requests into actionable deliverables by engaging with stakeholders to uncover core business questions and confirming optimal output
• Act as the frontline of analytics operations by triaging incoming requests and intelligently scoping requirements, deadlines, and stakeholder needs
• Maintain an organized backlog and provide visibility into statuses, ETAs, and ownership across the organization
• Monitor dashboard health, identify broken links or missing data, and resolve issues before they reach business users
• Document report logic, inputs, assumptions, and calculation notes in accessible Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Guide stakeholders to existing "single source of truth" dashboards, minimizing duplicative work and encouraging self-service data discovery
• Perform quality assurance, including reasonableness checks, variance flags, and source reconciliations
• Develop a deep understanding of data sources, ownership, and how tools drive strategic value
• Prepare key metrics, summarize critical insights, and highlight risks or opportunities for business leaders ahead of pivotal meetings
• Balance multiple priorities dynamically using criteria such as business impact, urgency, and effort, while communicating tradeoffs collaboratively
• Build trust and credibility across cross-functional teams by providing proactive updates, confirming request receipts, and closing the loop with exceptional attention to detail

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Analytics, Data Analytics, Economics, Finance, Statistics, Data Science, or equivalent work experience preferred
• 1–3 years of experience in category management/category planning analytics, commercial/sales operations analytics, or a similar data-driven role
• Experience using modern BI tools (Looker, Power BI, Tableau or similar) to interact with and maintain dashboards, preferred
• Exposure to workflow automation tools (Alteryx or similar) is a plus
• Beginner proficiency in writing SQL queries; exposure to or hands-on experience using cloud data warehouses (e.g., Google BigQuery) is a plus
• Experience or strong interest in leveraging AI tools (Gemini, Copilot or similar) and automation (e.g., prompt engineering) to improve daily workflows and reporting efficiency
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to clarify business questions and provide proactive updates
• Solid analytical problem-solving skills and strict attention to detail and data hygiene
• Prior experience using enterprise ERP systems (e.g., SAP) or working within the Pharmaceutical Distribution / Consumer Health industry is a plus
• Familiarity with incorporating and analyzing non-transactional or syndicated market data (e.g., NIQ, IRI) alongside internal metrics is a plus

What is expected of you and others at this level

• Applies working knowledge in the application of concepts, principles, and technical capabilities to perform varied tasks
• Works on projects of moderate scope and complexity
• Identifies possible solutions to a variety of technical problems and takes action to resolve
• Applies judgment within defined parameters
• Receives general guidance and may receive more detailed instruction on new projects
• Work reviewed for sound reasoning and accuracy

Pay

Anticipated salary range: $68,500 – $88,020

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Paid time off plan
• Health savings account (HSA)
• 401k savings plan
• Access to wages before pay day with myFlexPay
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Work-Life resources
• Paid parental leave
• Healthy lifestyle programs