Specialist Sr., Inventory and Supply Planning

The Senior Supply Planner serves as the senior technical authority for assigned planning segments and owns the supply response required to support fleet readiness. The role translates demand signals, approved inventory policies, supply conditions, lead times, sourcing constraints, and vessel schedules into feasible, time-phased supply plans that improve material availability, inventory health, service performance, and working capital. Through scenario analysis, exception management, and cross-functional influence, the Senior Supply Planner identifies constraints, evaluates trade-offs, develops decision-ready recommendations, and recommends actions that balance operational risk with business objectives. The role also makes routine supply planning, replenishment, allocation, transfer, and inventory deployment decisions within approved planning policies while escalating strategic trade-offs requiring Leadership direction. The position strengthens planning maturity by advancing planning governance, standardized work, data quality, and the effective use of enterprise planning technologies, analytics, automation, and emerging decision-support capabilities.

Essential Functions:

Supply Strategy and Plan Ownership

• Own the supply response for assigned planning segments by translating demand signals, approved inventory policies, lead times, sourcing conditions, and vessel schedules into feasible, time-phased supply actions that support fleet readiness, inventory health, and service performance. 

• Evaluate planning recommendations and exceptions; determine and coordinate mitigation actions such as expedite, substitute, transfer, defer, allocate, or rebalance. 

• Make routine replenishment, allocation, transfer, and inventory deployment decisions within approved planning policies while escalating strategic trade-offs requiring Leadership direction. 

• Anticipate material, supplier, capacity, and timing constraints; assess operational impacts and recommend actions that improve supply continuity while balancing inventory investment and working capital. 

• Provide technical direction and decision support for complex, high-impact, or cross-functional supply planning issues.

Planning Governance, Data, and System Enablement

• Apply and validate approved planning policies, business rules, master data, and parameters to improve the accuracy and reliability of supply planning outputs.

• Ensure planning inputs reflect current supply conditions, sourcing strategies, lead-time performance, vessel schedules, and operational requirements.

• Identify data, process, or system gaps; lead root-cause analysis and coordinate corrective actions with accountable stakeholders.

• Advance adoption and effective use of enterprise planning systems, analytics, automation, and emerging decision-support capabilities.

Cross-Functional Supply Planning and Decision Support

• Represent Supply Planning in S&OP, S&OE, and other planning forums by presenting decision-ready scenarios, trade-offs, risks, impacts, and recommended actions that support Leadership decision-making.[JB4.1]

• Influence Demand Planning, Inventory Planning, Procurement, Logistics, Finance, Technical Operations, and Shipboard stakeholders to align decisions and execution to the approved supply plan.

• Challenge assumptions and facilitate fact-based decisions when service, cost, inventory, timing, and operational priorities conflict.

• Escalate unresolved supply risks and cross-functional constraints to Planning Leadership with clear options, impacts, and a recommended path forward.

Supply Planning Performance and Capability Development

• Monitor supply-plan adherence, material availability, exception aging, service, and execution performance; identify recurring constraints and systemic gaps.

• Lead or support improvements to supply planning methods, business rules, standardized work, governance, and technology enablement.

• Develop and share analytical insights, best practices, and lessons learned that improve supply planning consistency, responsiveness, and maturity.

• Coach planners and business partners on supply planning methods, tools, and decision logic through technical expertise and influence.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Scope: Owns the end-to-end supply response for assigned planning segments, balancing fleet readiness, inventory health, service performance, and working capital across complex supply networks.

• Problem Solving: Resolves complex supply planning issues by evaluating constraints, analyzing trade-offs, and developing data-driven recommendations that minimize operational risk and support business objectives.

• Impact: Directly influences material availability, service levels, inventory performance, supply continuity, and fleet readiness through effective planning and execution decisions. 

• Leadership: Provides senior-level technical leadership, influences cross-functional decision-making, and coaches others on supply planning processes, systems, and best practices.

Essential/Minimal Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Analytics, Business, or a related quantitative discipline

• APICS CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent supply chain planning certification preferred; Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent continuous improvement certification a plus

• Advanced knowledge of supply planning, including MRP/DRP, replenishment strategy, supply balancing, constraint management, allocation, and S&OP/S&OE.

• Strong analytical capability to interpret large datasets, evaluate supply scenarios, identify material risks, and convert analysis into clear recommendations.

• Working knowledge of lead-time variability, sourcing rules, supplier constraints, bills of material, approved inventory policies, and planning master data.

• Proficiency with advanced planning or enterprise supply chain platforms and strong Excel, data-modeling, dashboard, and reporting skills.

• Ability to evaluate planning parameters and business rules and assess their supply, operational, and financial impacts.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Kinaxis or another advanced planning system.

• Experience with automation, advanced analytics, or AI-enabled decision support within supply planning.

• Familiarity with maritime, vessel-based, technical-spares, or other asset-intensive supply chains.

Essential Experience Required: 

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in Supply Planning, Materials Planning, Replenishment Planning, or integrated Demand and Supply Planning within a complex, multi-site, global, or asset-intensive environment. Demonstrated experience independently resolving complex supply constraints, leading scenario analysis, influencing cross-functional decisions, and improving planning processes or capabilities. Maritime, hospitality, manufacturing, or technical-spares experience preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience coaching or mentoring planning professionals through subject-matter expertise.

• Experience leading continuous improvement, standardized work, or planning transformation initiatives.

• Ability to facilitate cross-functional supply discussions and convert disagreement into aligned actions.

• Experience in a senior or lead Supply Planning capacity within a complex, multi-brand, multi-site, global, maritime, manufacturing, or asset-intensive organization.

• Travel: None or very little travel likely

• Work Conditions: Work primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential.

• Physical Demands:. Must be able to remain in a stationary position at a desk and/or computer for extended periods of time.

This position is classified as “in-office.”  As an in-office role, it requires employees to work from a designated Carnival office in South Florida Monday through Thursday each week. Employees may work from their homes on Fridays.  

At Carnival, your total rewards package is much more than your base salary. All non-sales roles participate in an annual cash bonus program, while sales roles have an incentive plan. Director and above roles may also be eligible to participate in Carnival’s discretionary equity incentive plan. Plus, Carnival provides comprehensive and innovative benefits to meet your needs, including: 

• Health Benefits: 
  • Cost-effective medical, dental and vision plans 
  • Employee Assistance Program and other mental health resources 
  • Additional programs include company paid term life insurance and disability coverage  
• Financial Benefits: 
  • 401(k) plan that includes a company match 
  • Employee Stock Purchase plan 
• Paid Time Off 
  • Holidays – All full-time and part-time with benefits employees receive days off for 8 company-wide holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays to be taken at the employee’s discretion.  
  • Vacation Time – All full-time employees at the manager and below level start with 14 days/year; director and above level start with 19 days/year.  Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 84 hours/year.  All employees gain additional vacation time with further tenure. 
  • Sick Time – All full-time employees receive 80 hours of sick time each year.  Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 60 hours each year.   
• Other Benefits 
  • Complementary stand-by cruises, employee discounts on confirmed cruises, plus special rates for family and friends 
  • Personal and professional learning and development resources including tuition reimbursement  
  • On-site Fitness center at our Miami campus 

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