Distribution Planning Mgr

At Barilla, we believe that every great journey begins with passion and a bold vision. From our humble beginnings in 1877 in a small shop in Parma, Italy, we’ve blossomed into a global leader in the food industry, guided by our commitment to progress and excellence.

Today, Barilla is an international group present in more than 100 countries and we are proud to be recognized as the world’s top food company by reputation. With 22 beloved brands in our portfolio, we are world leader for pasta, the number one choice for ready‑made sauces in Europe, leader for bakery products in Italy, and for crispbread across Scandinavia with Wasa.

Our success story is written by a passionate team of almost 9,000 dedicated employees across 30 plants and offices worldwide, all united by a shared mission to nourish the future with purpose and passion.

Are you ready to add your unique flavor to our journey?

Job Purpose
Manages the distribution planning processes to ensure the best trade‑off between service level to customers and logistical efficiency (lean flows, low touch index, minimize handling, proper stock allocation), ensuring product availability and asset capacity. Accountable for service level to customers from all the channels, keeping a balance among the different locations, solving the issues of shortages and supporting the planning team in their identification in advance.

This is a hybrid role based out of Northbrook, IL.

Key Accountabilities

Short‑term coverage of Distribution Centers:
Ensure product stock to ensure full customer delivery anticipating and reducing the risk of short orders

Out of Stock Detection & Prevention:
Analyze backorders/shortages, identify the root cause and develop continuous improvement processes to reduce future risk

Master Data Management:
Ensure data accuracy and system setup of the key business tools of SAP R/3 and APO. Ensure automated jobs run as designed and that requirements and object data are flowing properly for visibility and operation. Understand the real‑world realities mapped in the system.

Sourcing: choose the best sourcing from plants/co‑packers to DCs, constantly revising it due to changes, new items or unexpected issues.

Warehouse Capacity Management:
Manage the capacity management process by detecting and solving any potential capacity constraints on logistical assets

Cost‑Savings Analysis:
Design and implement policies for replenishment looking for overall optimization of service and costs. Make decisions on order frequency, sourcing, product mix, handling unit, and transportation mode.

Establish KPIs and targets to constantly monitor the team’s performance

Manage distribution budget to track variances and estimate physical flows and storage requirements for the following year.

Ensure minimal scrap of product obsolescence by continually monitoring product shelf life

Work cross‑functionally with plant and warehouse employees to ensure product data integrity, market priorities and future needs.

Other Duties as assigned

Desired Skills and Background

Bachelor’s Degree (concentration in Business Administration, Economics or Information Technology)

5+ years in at least 2 of the following areas: DRP/deployment, production planning, customer service, transportation/warehousing or information technology (food or other CPG)

3-5 years hands‑on experience on SAP or other equivalent ERP systems and preferably with advanced planning tools (APO, APS, Manugistics…)

High proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Strong project management skills

Ability to work strategically and tactically with a hands‑on approach

Ability to travel up to 10% domestically as well as internationally

As of the date of this posting, the estimated pay range for this role is $105‑122K plus eligibility to participate in the annual discretionary bonus plan. The actual pay for the position will be determined by various factors, including but not limited to job‑related experience, skills, education, location, and internal equity. This range may be subject to change over time.

Barilla strives to provide you and your family with a wide range of benefit options to support your overall health and financial well‑being needs. This position…