Strategic Planning Manager: AI & ICP Excellence

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow. At Nestlé USA, we’re all working towards the same goal – to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to be there for every moment in our consumers’ lives. Joining Nestlé means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk‑taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive. This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship. Main Purpose of the Job – Lead strategic planning operations and enterprise process improvement initiatives that strengthen commercial planning across the organization. This role owns and evolves end‑to‑end planning routines, drives consistent adoption of standards and tools, and delivers scalable resources, training, and communications that enable smarter, faster execution. The role also serves as a key driver of AI and automation enablement within commercial planning, partnering across functions to shape, pilot, and scale automation and AI‑enabled solutions that improve planning quality, clarify expectations, and unlock efficiency gains. Role Summary The Strategic Planning Manager on the Dynamic Planning Team plays a central role in evolving division‑centric planning into Dynamic Planning by owning standardized ways of working, governance, and measurement across the Integrated Commercial Planning (ICP) process and other long‑term and short‑term planning processes. This role helps establish the Dynamic Planning Team as an enterprise‑wide Center of Excellence (COE) for unified short‑term, mid‑term, and long‑term planning—bridging strategic and operational planning to deliver clarity, agility, and best‑in‑class execution. The manager leads cross‑functional programs that improve planning effectiveness and stakeholder experience by: Owning ICP standards, expectations, and governance (what “good” looks like) Creating and scaling planning resources, toolkits, and training Driving change management and communications to strengthen adoption Establishing performance metrics and feedback loops Enabling AI and digital solutions (e.g., CAP Coach, VBT Dashboard / Osprey‑connected workflows) to reduce rework and improve plan quality Key Responsibilities (High‑Level) Drive Enterprise Commercial Planning Process Excellence & ICP Standardization Program & Project Management with Strong Operating Rhythms Governance Lead AI Enablement & Digital Tool Adoption Resource Creation, Training, and Capability Building Change Management, Communication, and Stakeholder Engagement Measurement, Insights, and Continuous Improvement Responsibilities Enterprise Planning Process Excellence & ICP Ownership Own the end‑to‑end Integrated Commercial Planning (ICP) process, including standards, expectations, outputs, timelines, and role clarity across planning phases. Assess current planning processes and identify opportunities to simplify execution, improve rigor, and reduce rework. Define and govern enterprise planning standards that align cross‑functional teams and reinforce accountability. Drive consistency in process and tool usage by reinforcing “one way of working” and removing friction points. Translate strategy and leadership direction into clear, executable planning guidance. Program / Project Management & Operating Rhythm Lead planning excellence and transformation initiatives end‑to‑end, from scoping and planning through execution, adoption, and value realization. Coordinate cross‑functional contributors across Sales, Commercial Development, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, and IT/Digital. Maintain disciplined planning rhythms, including milestone tracking, status reporting, escalations, and leadership updates. Ensure initiatives are enterprise‑ready, on time, and deliver intended business outcomes. AI Enablement & Digital Tool Adoption Support development and execution of the Dynamic Planning AI enablement roadmap aligned to ICP standards and decision needs. Identify high‑value use cases, support pilots, and scale adoption through training and change management. Drive adoption and continuous improvement of planning tools Partner with stakeholders to ensure strong data quality, definitions, and standards—recognizing their role in AI effectiveness. Resource Creation, Training & Capability Building Develop scalable planning resources such as templates, checklists, standards guides, and “what good looks like” examples. Design and deliver enterprise training across planning roles and phases; ensure materials are centrally housed and reusable. Build ongoing enablement that reinforces standards, builds confidence, and strengthens adoption. Partner with HR and L&D to embed planning capabilities into learning pathways. Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement Drive a mindset shift toward Dynamic Planning through clear guidance, leadership alignment, and targeted communication. Build communication plans that clarify what is changing, why it matters, what is expected, and how success is measured. Facilitate cross‑functional alignment sessions to ensure plans are connected, actionable, and enterprise‑aligned. Build trusted stakeholder relationships to drive adoption without adding unnecessary complexity. Measurement, Insights & Continuous Improvement Define and track success metrics across planning quality, readiness, cycle time, and adoption. Establish feedback loops using surveys, analytics, and stakeholder input to identify opportunities for improvement. Translate insights into prioritized actions and monitor sustained behavior change. Continuously refine planning standards, tools, and resources year over year. Key Experiences / Requirements Required 4+ years of experience in strategy & operations, consulting, program management, process improvement, or enterprise transformation. Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives end‑to‑end. Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence and align stakeholders. Strong analytical problem‑solving skills and comfort translating ambiguity into structured standards and solutions. Ability to manage multiple priorities in complex environments. Bachelor’s degree required (or equivalent experience). Preferred / Strongly Valued CPG and/or commercial planning experience (ICP/IBP/MBP, S&OP, cross‑functional planning forums). Experience with digital enablement, analytics, and workflow simplification. Experience partnering on AI enablement efforts, including use‑case definition and adoption. Cross‑functional exposure across Sales, Marketing, Commercial Development, Finance, Supply Chain, and IT/Digital. Change management and adoption leadership experience. Core Knowledge Strong understanding of cross‑functional dependencies and enterprise planning flows. Ability to translate business needs into practical standards, tools, and enablement. Understanding of the connection between short–/mid‑term execution and long‑term strategy. It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace. To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home. The Nestlé Companies are equal employment opportunity employers. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: View phone number on click.appcast.io. This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship. Review our applicant privacy notice before applying at Job Requisition: 401228 #J-18808-Ljbffr Nestle