Operations Planning Specialist - Hybrid & Impact

MSD; Luzern; Hybrid; CHF 72,000 - 113,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Health, dental, vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

MSD is seeking an Operations Planning Specialist to ensure reliable execution of assigned activities within clinical supply chain and broader programs. The role emphasizes independent work, escalation when needed, and clear communication of progress and risks.

We expect a bachelor’s or equivalent in a related field with 3+ years of experience in supply chain or operations planning, plus strong English skills. Hybrid work and a competitive benefits package are offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
• Candidates with HS Diploma or Associate’s degree with direct clinical supply chain experience greater than 8 years may be considered.
• Proven English proficiency is required, with the ability to communicate clearly in written and spoken English.
• Initial relevant professional experience in supply chain, operations planning, clinical supply, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, or a related business environment.

Responsibilities

• Deliver assigned planning tasks and portions of larger programs, projects, or workstreams in line with agreed priorities, timelines, and procedures.
• Apply standard planning processes, tools, systems, and SOP/GMP expectations to complete routine to moderately complex assignments.
• Organize own activities, follow agreed priorities, and keep manager or senior colleagues informed on progress, constraints, and support needs.
• Escalate conflicts, decisions, or trade-offs early when guidance or alignment is required.
• Support planning execution for assigned portions of programs, processes, or workstreams.
• Track required inputs, dependencies, constraints, and open items related to own tasks.
• Communicate progress, missing information, workload concerns, or potential continuity risks early.
• Monitor assigned tasks for schedule, quality, compliance, capacity, or data-related issues.
• Flag conflicts, deviations from agreed plans, missing inputs, or blockers and provide relevant facts to support resolution.
• Escalate risks or decisions outside own responsibility promptly and follow guidance on next actions.
• Communicate status, open items, constraints, and support needs within assigned scope.
• Collect and clarify required inputs from business and functional partners.
• Provide accurate updates and contribute factual input to meetings or discussions when requested.
• Share practical learnings, process updates, and useful information with colleagues.
• Support documentation, knowledge transfer, or onboarding activities when requested and within own experience.
• Apply team expectations, collaborate constructively, seek feedback, and elevate questions early.
• Identify practical improvement ideas in own tasks, processes, documentation, or tools and share them with manager or senior colleagues.
• Complete assigned actions that support approved standardization, digitalization, or transformation activities.
• Apply new ways of working within own responsibilities and provide feedback on implementation challenges.

Skills

BCP

Clinical supplies management

Data analysis

Escalation management

Inventory control management

Issue management

Microsoft applications

Microsoft Office

MRP systems

Production planning

Project management

Six Sigma

Stakeholder engagement

Supply chain

Vendor selection

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field

HS Diploma or Associate’s degree with direct clinical supply chain experience >8 years

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

MSD is seeking an Operations Planning Specialist to ensure reliable execution of assigned activities within clinical supply chain and broader programs. The role emphasizes independent work, escalation when needed, and clear communication of progress and risks.

We expect a bachelor’s or equivalent in a related field with 3+ years of experience in supply chain or operations planning, plus strong English skills. Hybrid work and a competitive benefits package are offered.