Distribution Planning Manager
Nordic Naturals · Vista, CA
Salary - 105K - 125K
Location - Vista
POSITION SUMMARY
The Distribution Planning Manager is a strategic supply chain leadership role responsible for directing network-wide distribution strategy, optimizing end-to-end material and finished goods movement, and shaping long-term fulfillment capabilities. Reporting directly to the Director of Supply Planning and Execution, this position drives high-level distribution planning across domestic and global networks. The role bridges supply execution with enterprise strategy by partnering closely with Demand Planning to analyze demand flows and forecasts, collaborating with Sales Operations on customer allocation strategies, and working with International Sales to design robust global distribution frameworks. Grounded in strategic analytics and continuous improvement, this leader establishes network optimization strategies, drives Sales and Operations Planning alignment, and governs service level performance while managing risk and inventory balancing across nodes.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Strategic Demand Flow Distribution Requirements Planning
● Demand Planning Strategic Partnership: Partner closely with Demand Planning to rigorously analyze historical demand flows, velocity trends, and forward-looking forecasts, ensuring distribution network capabilities align with multi-horizon commercial plans.
● Distribution Network Strategy & Planning: Architect and govern Distribution Requirements Planning models to strategically align outbound finished goods distribution and regional stock positions across distribution centers and customer channels.
● Inbound & Raw Material Supply Flows: Establish strategic transport flow strategies for raw materials and components, ensuring synchronized inbound replenishment to support production continuity and manufacturing agility.
● Stock Transfer Governance & Multi-Node Balancing: Define policies and parameters for network stock transfer orders, determine strategic safety stocks at locations, and dynamically balance multi-node inventory positioning to minimize carrying costs, prevent regional stockouts, and reduce total cost-to-serve.
Commercial Alignment & Global Distribution Strategy
● Sales Operations & Customer Allocation: Drive strategic collaboration with Sales Operations to establish product allocation frameworks, prioritize high-value customer orders during supply constraints, and govern fulfillment protocols during demand spikes.
● International Sales & Global Expansion: Collaborate with International Sales leadership to design and execute global distribution strategies, establishing optimized shipping lanes, international fulfillment models, and market-entry supply pathways.
● Outbound Distribution & Lane Optimization: Oversee long-range outbound distribution planning and carrier network design to achieve target On-Time In-Full delivery performance and elevate overall customer experience.
Network Optimization, Analytics & Risk Governance
● Network Optimization & Footprint Strategy: Continuously evaluate distribution footprint, node capacity, and lane economics to model optimal facility locations, trade routes, and fulfillment network topologies.
● Sales & Operations Planning Alignment: Lead the distribution stream within the executive Sales and Operations Planning framework, presenting inventory projections, network constraints, and service trade-offs to senior leadership.
● Service Level Performance Governance: Establish end-to-end service performance metrics, governing order fill rates, lead-time reliability, and distributor compliance through robust performance monitoring and cross-functional reviews.
● Risk Management & Contingency Planning: Develop comprehensive supply chain risk mitigation strategies and contingency response playbooks to preserve business continuity against global transport disruptions, supply bottlenecks, and port congestion.
● Enterprise Analytics & Scenario Modeling: Leverage enterprise resource planning platforms and business intelligence software to build predictive distribution models, scenario planning frameworks, and executive dashboards tracking network health.
● Continuous Improvement & Network Efficiency: Apply continuous improvement and process optimization principles to eliminate waste across distribution networks, optimize inventory velocity, reduce lead times, and enhance backorder resolution capabilities.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Strategic Execution
● Cross-Functional Stakeholder Leadership: Serve as the strategic focal point across Commercial, Manufacturing, Finance, and Supply Chain teams, driving cross-functional alignment on trade- offs, network investments, and operational priorities.
● Team Leadership & Capability Building: Lead, mentor, and elevate a team of planning professionals, fostering an analytical and strategic mindset across distribution, transfer management, and network planning execution.
● Executive Alignment & Strategy Execution: Partner with the Director of Supply Planning and Execution to establish Key Performance Indicator architecture, present strategic options to leadership, and execute long-term supply chain transformation initiatives.
Qualifications & Requirements
● Education: Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations, Business Administration, or a related quantitative discipline.
● Experience: 10+ years of progressive supply chain leadership specializing in strategic distribution planning, network modeling, demand integration, and global distribution strategy.
Technical & Analytical Skills:
○ Expertise in enterprise resource planning software and distribution planning software tools.
○ Advanced capability in business intelligence and data visualization platforms.
Core Competencies & Certifications:
○ Deep knowledge of distribution network strategy, demand-flow integration, multi- node inventory balancing, customer allocation frameworks, and international supply chain design.
○ Professional certification in supply chain management or continuous improvement methodology strongly preferred.
Proven ability to partner with cross-functional leadership, influence commercial strategy, and translate complex data into executive decisions.