Sr. Customer Planning Specialist

About the role

• Work Schedule
• Standard (Mon-Fri)
• Environmental Conditions
• Office

About the role

The Sr. Customer Planning Specialist connects customer commitments, launches, stock requests, and inventory risk to executable supply chain actions. This role manages customer-facing supply chain activities with a strong focus on customer service, inventory risk management, launch readiness, and cross-functional collaboration. As a hands-on individual contributor, you will drive day-to-day execution, analysis, and continuous improvement while partnering with Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Distribution/Logistics, Commercial, and Systems teams to deliver outstanding customer outcomes.

Location: On-site in Pittsburgh, PA. Relocation assistance is NOT provided.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Must be able to pass a comprehensive background check, which includes a drug screening.

Key Responsibilities

• Support customer product launches, onboarding activities, and implementation readiness from planning through execution.
• Maintain and track customer commitments, including Letters of Commitment (LOCs), expected demand, and timing assumptions.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure customer requirements and inputs are complete, accurate, and delivered on time.
• Escalate launch risks, commitment gaps, and customer issues with clear recommendations for resolution.
• Manage customer stock requests, hold requests, and other customer-driven supply chain exceptions.
• Track customer requests through completion and communication status, decisions, and next steps with stakeholders.
• Support resolution of customer-specific service issues and maintain action logs to ensure follow-through and accountability.
• Monitor customer-held inventory risk, including Dated & Held (D&H) inventory aging and Excess & Obsolete (E&O) exposure.
• Coordinate with Planning and Commercial teams to proactively mitigate inventory risk and prevent avoidable obsolescence.
• Review customer demand patterns and identify changes that may impact supply, inventory, or service performance.
• Support reporting, analytics, and recurring business reviews to provide insights into customer performance and supply chain execution.
• Partner closely with Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Distribution/Logistics, Commercial, and Systems teams to resolve issues and improve end-to-end supply chain performance.
• Use data and analytics to identify recurring issues, process gaps, and opportunities to simplify and improve customer supply chain processes.
• Update standard work, templates, and process controls to improve execution consistency and operational effectiveness.
• Drive continuous improvement through Practical Process Improvement (PPI), participation and leadership.
• Support an environment that promotes positive communication and collaboration across departments.
• May be required to perform other related duties as business needs arise and/or as assigned.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 10% as needed to support customer and business requirements.
• Exhibit a passion for customer service, process improvement, and operational excellence.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of experience in customer supply chain, supply chain planning, inventory management, customer service, or a related role.
• Working knowledge of supply chain concepts, customer service processes, inventory management, and planning systems.
• Experience with ERP/planning systems and data analysis tools.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in distribution, life sciences, healthcare, or another high-volume supply chain environment.
• Experience supporting customer product launches, stock requests, service issue resolution, or inventory risk management.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel, Power BI, SQL, Logility, or similar reporting and planning tools.
• APICS/CPIM certification and/or Lean/Six Sigma experience.
• Understanding of planning systems and their impact on inventory, customer service, and supply chain performance.
• Demonstrated ability to independently take ownership of initiatives and drive execution across cross-functional teams.
• Continuous improvement mindset with experience identifying opportunities to streamline processes and improve customer outcomes.

Additional information

We offer competitive remuneration, annual incentive plan bonus scheme, healthcare, company 401k, and a range of employee benefits! Thermo Fisher Scientific offers employment with an innovative, forward-thinking organization, and outstanding career and development prospects. We offer an exciting company culture that stands for integrity, intensity, involvement, and innovation.