Planogram Specialist

Nestlé S.A.; Solon (IA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with company match

Healthcare coverage

Job summary

Nestlé USA is seeking a Planogram Specialist to partner with Category Leadership and cross-functional teams. You will co-own planogram development, reporting, and data upkeep while driving category growth through shopper insights and retail standards.

Responsibilities include building multiple planogram versions, ensuring retailer alignment, and enabling scalable tools and processes for faster, higher-quality merchandising outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent education/experience.
• 2+ years in Sales, Analytics, Space Mgmt, Category Mgmt, or related role.
• CPG/food industry experience is a plus with cross-functional influence.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute planograms optimizing product flow and retailer requirements.
• Review and revise planograms for retailer strategy and execution readiness.
• Manage category workload, deadlines, and cross-functional coordination.
• Provide planogram support for displays, virtual stores, and visual assets.

Skills

Excel

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Blue Yonder/JDA Space Management

SQL

Python

Job description

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.

The Planogram Specialist partners with Category Leadership Managers and cross‑functional stakeholders to influence, build, validate, and execute merchandising solutions that support category growth. The role co‑owns planogram development, planogram specific reporting, database maintenance, and ad hoc category analytics while evolving toward stronger process leadership, standardized ways of working, and scalable tools that improve speed, quality, and consistency across divisions. The role also contributes to assortment and layout thinking by applying shopper, category, retailer, and performance insights to strengthen shelf construct recommendations, planogram testing, heat mapping, and best‑practice deployment.

Responsibilities

Planogram Development & Execution

• Builds multiple versions of planograms based on pre‑established assortment, clustering nuances, fixture variations, merchandising guidelines, and retailer‑specific requirements, while simultaneously developing customer‑specific Gold Standard POG recommendations that optimize product flow, brand blocking, adjacencies, capacity, and execution feasibility to drive immediate merchandising objectives and support long‑term category growth, shopper navigation, and strategic retailer goals.
• Reviews, validates, and revises planograms for adherence to retailer strategy, merchandising standards, fixture/labor realities, and execution readiness.
• Manages relay execution for assigned categories, including workload forecasting, project coordination, deadlines, and issue resolution required for successful implementation.
• Provides planogram support for display merchandising where applicable, including virtual store environments, 3D product builds, video tours, promotional concepts, and customer‑facing visual assets that communicate the merchandising story.

Assortment, Layout & Shelf Strategy Support

• Supports assortment and layout strategy development by translating shopper, category, retailer, and performance insights into informed shelf recommendations.
• Contributes to planogram testing, heat mapping, clustering evaluations, fixture alternatives, and shelf construct analysis to improve category and brand outcomes.
• Provides analytical support for innovation, renovation, and new item/segment display considerations as needed.

Reporting, Analytics & Decision Support

• Conducts ad hoc analytics to answer business questions from Customer Merchants, Category Advisors, Category Leadership Managers, and non‑advising teams.
• Supports business reviews and insights development using available resources such as JDA/Blue Yonder, retailer data, and internal reporting.
• Measures effectiveness of planogram, assortment, and shelving actions by connecting execution outputs to performance indicators where available.

Tools, Data & Capability Enablement

• Helps develop and improve the planogram toolbox, including standardized tables, templates, reporting views, process documents, and shared knowledge resources.
• Identifies opportunities to test, validate, and scale tools or automation that improve planogram development, reporting, and execution efficiency.
• Supports onboarding, training content, and best‑practice sharing for analysts, field category teams, and partners using planogram or space planning tools.
• Maintains strong relationship with Acosta, Shopper MX, and key internal stakeholders to optimize merchandising tools, data integrity, digital assets, and operational processes, driving efficiencies, improving execution quality, and identifying scalable, cost‑effective solutions that advance category management capabilities and customer outcomes.

Collaboration & Thought Leadership

• Acts as an efficient collaborator by sharing reporting, best practices, learnings, and reusable tools across divisions and customer teams.
• Brings forward‑thinking recommendations through proposals, planogram testing insights, heat mapping, and scalable process improvements that support total Nestlé growth.
• Builds trusted relationships with Category Leadership, Space Planning Management, field sales, and cross‑functional partners to improve quality, speed, and alignment.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2+ years of experience in Sales, Analytics, Space Management, Category Management, or a related manufacturer/retailer role; CPG and/or food industry experience a plus,with demonstrated ability to influence merchandising recommendations through buyer‑facing storytelling, cross‑functional partnership, and category strategy application.

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel; advanced analytical aptitude and ability to develop business and category knowledge,including the expertise to simplify complex data into clear visuals, shelf stories, and executive‑ready recommendations.
• Experience with Blue Yonder/JDA Space Management preferred; ability to use SQL, Python, or similar tools to improve data extraction, analysis, or planogram workflows a plus.
• Ability to use retailer, marketplace, shopper, category, and performance data to address business questions and improve merchandising recommendations.
• Strong project management, prioritization, and change‑management skills with the ability to manage multiple deliverables independently and in a team environment.
• Excellent presentation, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to translate analysis into clear recommendations.
• Demonstrated initiative, tenacity, curiosity, and problem‑solving; willingness to challenge current ways of working and help build future‑state capabilities.
• Ability to collaborate across Category Leadership, Field Sales, and cross‑functional partners while sharing knowledge and best practices.

Travel

Approximately 15–25% to include national meetings, local customer meetings, store visits, and other business needs.

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The approximate target compensation range for this role is $75,000-90,000. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to background, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as geographic location of the position.

Nestlé offers performance‑based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k with company match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position. Learn more atNestlé Benefits | Nestlé Careers

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 [e-mail] or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.