Network Planning Specialist
Nestlé USAFoods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow. At Nestlé USA, we’re all working towards the same goal – to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to be there for every moment in our consumers’ lives. Joining Nestlé means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive. This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship. 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. JOB DUTIES/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 EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required. EXPERIENCE & SKILLS REQUIREMENTS 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 insight…