Sr Network Planning Specialist

The Senior Specialist, Network Planning drives network execution performance and stability by ensuring effective decision-making, rapid issue resolution, and alignment across deployment, capacity, and order execution activities.

This role oversees network health end-to-end, identifies risks and systemic issues, and intervenes to guide or make decisions when trade-offs exceed defined thresholds, ensuring service, cost, and capacity objectives are maintained.

Operating across planning, logistics, and execution teams, the Senior Specialist connects strategy to execution, resolves cross-functional conflicts, and drives timely, data-informed actions under uncertainty to protect network performance., Network Health & Order Execution

• Owns daily network health and drive actions based on order, payload, service gaps, order diverts, throughput, and appointment availability insights.
• Translate system insights into immediate actions, driving resolution of service risks and minimizing escalations.
• Make real-time decisions on order execution, including order divert updates, system dispatch utilization, and service recovery actions.
• Support COF recovery and seasonal customer programs through divert recommendations, hyper-care support, and issue resolution.

SKU Planning Governance

• Review and prevent order cuts with inventory and freshness lens to identify gaps and systemic drivers of service loss. Lead to gap closures and coach teams towards stonger upstream decision making.
• Partner with and coach SKU Specialists to improve overall order quality using exception-based insights.
• Review and govern divert requests from SKU owners to ensure network feasibility and alignment to service objectives.
• Manage Min/Max health by reviewing DC-owned actions, challenging setups, and ensuring alignment with customer initiatives and capacity constraints.
• Provide adhoc support for CMIR and customer-driven planning activities.

DC & Capacity Planning

• Owns short-term capacity planning decisions, including dispatch prioritization and trade-offs between service and throughput.
• Review throughput constraints within planning systems and communicate risks, gaps, and staffing implications through recurring reporting.
• Govern dispatch attainment by analyzing SKU dispatch utilization and driving opportunities to improve execution efficiency.
• Maintain and govern regional inventory policies in alignment with network strategy.
• Partner cross-functionally to identify and resolve distribution solve gaps.

Network Strategy & Continuous Improvement

• Identify AI opportunities, planning tool enhancements, and process improvements to increase network visibility and execution quality.
• Support Mode of Transportation (MOT) strategy adherence by identifying switch opportunities and monitoring compliance.
• Serve as a planning support partner for DC go-lives, network realignments, and “Network of the Future” initiatives.
• Maintain and update planning system resources to support accurate and timely network decision-making.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Support

• Provide daily direct support to Network Planning Specialists, Managers, and Network Leads.
• Translate complex planning outputs into clear, actionable insights for leadership and operational partners.
• Influence outcomes through strong business acumen, data-driven analysis, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required., Required
• 5+ years of experience in supply chain related functions such as network planning, supply/demand planning, distribution planning, transportation, warehouse or order fulfillment.
• Strong understanding of inventory, capacity, and transportation tradeoffs across an end-to-end supply network.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate date into decisions and influence without direct authority.
• Expected to make timely decisions in ambiguous situations and resolve issues proactively rather than escalating without recommendations and providing appropriate coaching.

Preferred

• Strong understanding of inventory, capacity, and transportation trade-offs across an end-to-end network.
• Ability to work with large datasets and leverage advanced analytics and AI-enabled tools to improve decision-making.
• Experience with planning systems (e.g., OMP, SAP APO) and data-driven environments.

Salary: $81,238.50 to $114,093.00 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.

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., 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

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you’re at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé. The skills you’ve gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home.