At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world.
A Day in the LifeThe Principal Supply Chain Planner is responsible for managing and optimizing inventory distribution across the supply chain network to ensure product availability while minimizing costs. This role involves leading demand-supply planning activities, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and providing insights to support business decisions. The Principal Supply Chain Planner will also mentor senior and junior planners and contribute to process improvements and systems enhancements.Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain distribution requirements plans to balance supply and demand across regional and global networks.
- Monitor inventory levels at distribution centers, proactively addressing potential stock-outs or excess.
- Analyze demand forecasts, production plans, and transportation constraints to generate efficient replenishment strategies.
- Collaborate with demand planning, supply planning, logistics, and commercial teams to align on service levels and inventory targets.
- Use advanced planning systems (APS) and ERP tools (e.g., SAP ECC and APO, Blue Yonder) to generate and optimize distribution plans.
- Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as backorder, product availability, OTIF, forecast accuracy, freight, DC critical KPIs, inventory turns, and obsolescence.
- Lead root cause analysis of supply-demand imbalances and recommend corrective actions.
- Drive process improvements, automation, and adoption of best practices in distribution planning.
- Provide guidance and mentorship to senior and junior planners and contribute to capability-building initiatives.
- Contribute as a core team member on large-scale or complex projects, adding value beyond traditional (Senior) supply chain responsibilities.
- Maintain a strategic perspective to optimize overall supply chain performance and exceed DRP KPIs.
Requisites / Qualifications:
Education & Experience
- Licentiate degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Industrial Engineering, or related field (master’s preferred).
- 7+ years of experience in supply chain planning, preferably with a focus on distribution requirements planning, supply or operational scheduling management.
- Solid knowledge of Operational Scheduling, Supply Network Planning, Demand Planning, Supplier Management and Warehousing.
- Hands-on experience with advanced planning systems (e.g., SAP ECC, APO, Blue Yonder).
- Strong experience on Microsoft Power BI, analyzing data, presenting business case, root cause analysis and action plan to implement).
- DMAIC methodology expert with a consistent record of improving processes, accuracy and business impact. Yellow Belt certification (completed or in progress). Green belt certification as preferred.
- Ability to generate customer value - Listening, understanding, anticipating and solving
- Demonstrated ability and leadership skills to drive change and influence key stakeholders in a global and matrix organization environment.
- Demonstrated experience of leading and motivating high performing team
- Strong organizational skills, the ability to perform under pressure and to manage multiple priorities with competing priorities.
- Excellent analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
Technical & Professional Skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; ability to interpret large datasets and translate insights into actions.
- Advanced Excel skills; proficiency in data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI).
- Familiarity with statistical forecasting, safety stock calculation, and replenishment models.
- Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and compelling priorities.
- Effective communication skills to interact with stakeholders at all levels.
Behavioral Competencies
- Customer-focused mindset with a drive to achieve high service levels.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with changing priorities.
- Strong leadership and mentoring abilities.
- Continuous improvement mindset and willingness to challenge the status quo.
- Strong, demonstrated critical capabilities (Influence, Compelling communication, Analytical, Business Acumen, Lean thinking) and stakeholder management.
Preferred Certifications
- APICS CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) or CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional).
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher (a plus).
- PMP or similar Project Management Certification.
Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.
- Analyzes, develops, and implements long-term supply chain strategies and networks that address capacity issues and production location decisions in support of business goals.
- Supports business execution of new programs and initiatives that include promotional activities, forecast and coordination for key events, new product launches, and network redesigns.
- Monitors key sales and operations planning performance indicators, cost-to-serve performance data, and coordinates cross-functional work teams to increase effectiveness of supply chain initiatives.
SPECIALIST CAREER STREAM: Typically an individual contributor with responsibility in a professional discipline or specialty. Delivers and/or manages projects assigned and works with other stakeholders to achieve desired results. May act as a mentor to colleagues or may direct the work of other lower level professionals. The majority of time is spent delivering and overseeing the projects – from design to implementation - while and adhering to policies, using specialized knowledge and skills normally acquired through advanced education.
DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS
Autonomy: Recognized expert, managing large projects or processes . Exercises considerable latitude in determining deliverables of assignments, with limited oversight from manager . Coaches, reviews and delegates work to lower level specialists.
Organizational Impact: Contributes to defining the direction for new products, processes, standards, or operational plans based on business strategy with a significant impact on work group results . May manage large projects or processes that span outside of immediate job area.
Innovation and Complexity: Problems and issues faced are difficult, moderately complex and undefined, and require detailed information gathering, analysis and investigation . Develops solutions to moderately complex problems, and/or makes moderate to significant improvements of processes, systems or products independently to enhance performance of job area. Implements solutions to problems.
Communication and Influence: Represents organization as a primary contact for specific projects and initiatives; communicates with internal and external customers and vendors at various levels . May negotiate with others to reach understanding or agreement, and influence decision-making.
Leadership and Talent Management: Typically provides guidance, coaching and training to other employees within job area. Typically manages major / moderately complex projects, involving delegation of work and review of work products, at times acting as a team leader.
Required Knowledge and Experience: Requires mastery of a specialty area and full knowledge of industry practices, typically obtained through advanced education combined with experience. May have broad knowledge of project management. Requires a Baccalaureate degree (or for degrees earned outside of the United States, a degree which satisfies the requirements of 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(h)( 4)(iii)(A) and minimum 7 years of relevant experience, or advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
Physical Job Requirements
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position.
Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.
We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.
Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people.
We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary.
Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here
Top Skills
What We Do
Medtronic is a global healthcare solutions company operating in approximately 160 countries. We are committed to improving lives through our medical technologies, services, and solutions.
Since our beginning, 60 years ago, our Mission has remained the same: to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life for people around the world. The Mission is our ethical framework and inspirational goal guiding our day-to-day work. It reminds us that our efforts are transforming millions of lives each year.
To meet the needs of patients and healthcare professionals around the globe, we operate from more than 370 locations in approximately 160 countries.
