Network Planning Analyst

Key responsibilities

• Translate the DS forecast into an ops-usable plan. Rebuild DS output at the client × injection-facility × day level, apply adjustments DS can’t see, and publish a single planning number. Metric: forecast accuracy vs. raw DS baseline.
• Layer in client events DS doesn’t see. Maintain a live calendar of client sales, promos, launches, and known volume pulls. Work with Client Services and Account Management so events land in the plan before they hit the network. Metric: % of events captured ≥24 hours before impact.
• Own the daily variance review. Review forecast vs. actual at planning grain daily, tag root cause (DS model miss, missed client event, facility execution, data issue, real demand surprise), and feed learnings back to DS and into the next plan. Metric: daily completion; trend in tagged miss categories week over week.
• Be the named owner of the planning number. Defend it to Ground Ops, Transpo, and leadership; adjust it when new information justifies it. Metric: % of operations plans (labor + trucks) aligned to the central planning forecast.
• Operate inside Volume Radar. Build the internal planning dashboard daily, read forecast-vs.-real-time signals, and escalate hot facilities with context. Provide structured feedback to engineering on tool improvements. Metric: time-to-escalation; quality of product feedback.

What we’re looking for

Skills

• Strong SQL — writes multi-CTE queries against a warehouse without hand-holding. Databricks SQL a plus.
• Forecast translation and demand planning — can take a model output and turn it into a number an operator will actually trust and use.
• Excel / Sheets fluency for capacity modeling, forecast adjustment, and quick-turn analysis.
• Variance analysis and root-cause diagnosis — takes a miss, decomposes it, and feeds back something actionable.
• Cross-functional stakeholder management — translates fluently between DS, Ground Ops, Transportation, and Client Services.
• Clear written and verbal communication, especially under time pressure. Strong AI capabilities.

Experience

• 3–6 years in network planning, demand planning, S&OP, supply-chain analytics, transportation planning, or last-/middle-mile operations analytics
• Has worked closely with a data science or forecasting team — has challenged a model output and fed signal back in
• Has personally owned a planning number for a real operation (not just produced an analysis someone else acted on)
• Parcel, last-mile, or middle-mile experience strongly preferred
• Bonus: experience working alongside software engineers on an internal tool — writing tickets, reviewing changes, defining acceptance criteria