Materials Planning Manager
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 5, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 3, 2026. Cisco Systems scores B on the Alion truth index.
Meet the Team
Material Planning is the team that answers a deceptively hard question: what components do Cisco actually need, and when? We be responsible for the component-level view of the supply plan across Cisco's highest-value commodity groups, including ASICs, Memory, PCB, Power, Optics and MPU. We translate the demand signal into the true need at part level so Component Supply Operations can secure it, and so shortages get resolved with logic instead of critical issue. The team sits at the center of Global Supply Chain, running a coordinated commodity planning process that brings Global Supplier Management, Product Operations, Global Manufacturing Operations and Planning into a single component picture. We're a small, deeply analytical group with outsized reach, and as we expand into new commodities, you'd be among the first dedicated planners for yours. That means you'd be crafting how it's planned, not inheriting a playbook.
Your Impact
You will own the component-level need for an assigned commodity and serve as the trusted planning voice for every partner who builds, buys or secures it.
- Translate product-level demand and supply plans into a clear, time-phased component requirement, separating minimum need from upside and buffer, so suppliers and manufacturing sites act on the right signal.
- Identify critical components and sense risk early through lead-time trends, contribute deviations and product transitions, so constraints are resolved before they reach the war room.
- Own safety stock and buffer strategy for your commodity in partnership with Planning and Global Supplier Management, so buffers are sized to real volatility rather than habit.
- Partner with GMO and GSM during constraint events, providing the planning inputs (minimum need, impact and options) that enable fast, defensible shortage decisions. Success looks like improved service levels to Cisco customers at an optimized cost to serve, with fewer supply surprises because partners trust your signal.
Minimum Qualifications
- A minimum of 5 + years of experience in materials planning, component or commodity planning, supply planning, inventory management, or procurement within a manufacturing, electronics, or technology environment.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Supply Chain, Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field.
- Experience performing component-level planning using Bill of Materials (BOM) structures, including BOM explosion, requirement netting, and multi-site requirements
- Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (SQL, Python, Power BI, or Tableau) for scenario modeling and risk analysis
Preferred Qualifications
- Commodity-specific experience in ASICs, Memory, PCB, Power, Optics, or MPU
- Experience with enterprise planning or ERP systems such as Kinaxis Rapid Response, Oracle, or SAP and the ability to influence without authority and turn complex supply data into clear, decision-ready recommendations for senior leaders
- Experience participating in S&OP or cross-functional planning forums with Procurement, Manufacturing, and Business Unit partners
- Experience sizing safety stock or buffer levels for components, and providing planning analysis to support shortage or constrained-supply decisions.
- APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP) or equivalent experience in Supply Chain, Operations is helpful.
Why Cisco?
At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.
Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.
We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.