Customer Allocations Lead

Overview:

TekWissen is a global workforce management provider headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan that offers strategic talent solutions to our clients world-wide. Our client is an American multinational company and one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. It also manufactures baked products, beverages and many more that are produced globally.


Position: Customer Allocations Lead


Location: Hershey, PA 17033


Duration: 9 Months


Job Type: Temporary Assignment


Work Type: Hybrid

Role Summary


The Customer Allocations Lead owns the end-to-end allocation process when customer demand exceeds available supply. This role serves as the central coordination point across Customer Supply Chain, Sales, IDP/Customer Planning, and senior leadership to ensure limited inventory is allocated in a disciplined, transparent, and commercially sound manner.


The role requires a balance of analytical rigor, operational execution, and stakeholder management, ensuring allocations protect strategic customers while minimizing downstream operational risk and organizational friction.


Key Responsibilities


1. Allocation Governance & Decision Support

• Own allocation execution in alignment with established RACI and governing principles
• Evaluate allocation requests from Sales and Customer Supply Chain when demand exceeds supply
• Develop data-backed allocation recommendations for leadership (IDP, CSC, or escalation to USLT)
• Ensure allocations remain exception-based and are used sparingly, in line with leadership guidance

2. Analytical Assessment & Scenario Modeling

• Analyze demand signals, forecasts, inventory positions, production constraints, and DC availability
• Build and maintain allocation models, workbooks, and scenario analyses
• Quantify and communicate risks, including:
  • Customer distribution loss
  • Promotional fill shortfalls
  • In-stock deterioration
  • Downstream case fill impacts

3. Execution & System Enablement

• Oversee accurate and timely allocation entry in S/4 and related systems
• Partner with Order Management and Customer Service for execution alignment
• Ensure allocation changes, extensions, and customer-specific adjustments are properly reflected and communicated
• Manage allocation timelines (start, extension, and end dates) aligned with production ramps and promotions

4. Cross-Functional Partnership

• Act as the central integrator across:
  • Sales (customer advocacy)
  • Customer Supply Chain (supply constraints)
  • IDP/Customer Planning (forecast inputs)
• Navigate competing priorities using a neutral, data-driven approach
• Support leadership forums (CDAs, deep dives, pre-reads) with clear allocation insights and implications

5. Process Improvement & Future State Design

• Identify root causes driving allocation needs (forecast gaps, demand spikes, capacity constraints)
• Partner cross-functionally to reduce reliance on allocations
• Contribute to process simplification, automation, and system improvements
• Support training and adoption of allocation processes, templates, and best practices

Key Skills & Capabilities

• Strong analytical and financial acumen (demand-supply tradeoff evaluation)
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure with senior stakeholders
• Deep understanding of customer prioritization and supply chain dynamics
• High attention to detail in fast-paced, high-impact decision environments
• Excellent written and verbal communication, particularly in escalation scenarios

TekWissen® Group is an equal opportunity employer supporting workforce diversity.