Sr Transportation Analyst Optimization
UltaOverview: Imagine . With over 1,400 stores throughout the U.S. and a thriving supply chain network, there has never been a greater need for people of high initiative, of big-picture thinking, and adaptability to share in our journey. At Ulta Beauty, we have greater ambitions . Growing what works. Iterating in areas that have promise. Creating new offerings for industry advantage. In all of this is the opportunity to experience real impact, to effectuate change, to give wings to a spirit of creativity and entrepreneurism. Because the challenges are multi-faceted and ever-changing. But for those inspired by real-world demands that press and stretch, that call for new and smarter ideas, that require heavy doses of trust and respect, Ulta Beauty encourages you to imagine with us. : THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE: The Sr. Transportation Analyst will partner with the Director, Carrier Management and Transportation Optimization and hold responsibility for managing data/pricing analysis, forecast modeling, scenario analysis & optimization projects for both retail & eCommerce. Core responsibilities include leading and supporting RFPs and contracting activities, leveraging analytical and transportation technology tools to evaluate alternatives and inform decisions, developing financial analysis to share with the leadership team, championing a continuous improvement mindset to drive critical changes across the business, and driving savings & efficiencies to the transportation team. YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS: Collaborate with transportation, distribution, and network strategy teams to optimize retail & ecommerce deliveries to deliver cost savings. Communicate data insights and recommendations in a clear and concise manner using PowerPoint/presentations, visualizations, and reporting documents. Produce KPI reporting for Retail & eCommerce activities including supporting monthly/quarterly carrier/vendor reviews. Facilitate Retail & eCommerce carrier/vendor business reviews. Participate in and lead transportation-related projects and help design the transportation strategy. Support transportation optimization strategies with the aim of improving efficiency and reducing transportation expense Support negotiations as needed with 3PLs, railroads, trucking companies, brokers, on rates and incremental charges to deliver cost savings while ensuring service. Perform data and scenario analysis to evaluate alternatives, model cost/service tradeoffs, develop actionable metrics, and support recommendations related to performance, trends, growth, forecast and cost. Monitor initiatives against benchmark metrics to pro-actively highlight areas of opportunity and improvement. Prepare executive-level reports and presentations to support customer and vendor meetings. Lead and support transportation Request for Proposal (RFP) processes from strategy development and data collection through bid analysis, carrier selection, negotiations, contracting support, and implementation. Run reports and analyze impact of vendor rate/service adjustments and vendor comparisons. Demonstrate a continuous improvement mindset by proactively identifying, justifying, and implementing opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve service, and simplify transportation processes. Develop costing and scenario models, leveraging available analytical and transportation tools, to evaluate sourcing and network strategies and support data-driven decisions. Leverage AI-enabled tools, where appropriate, to aid in data analysis, identify trends and scenarios, and improve the speed and quality of transportation decision making. Demonstrate advanced to expert capability in descriptive and diagnostic analytics and data visualization, with intermediate to advanced capability in data querying and predictive analysis; leverage analytical, transportation technology, and AI-enabled tools to accelerate analysis and improve decision quality. Identify and solve a range of problems in complex …