Senior Specialist, Data Analytics - Category Planning

<div><p><b>What Data Analytics contributes to Cardinal Health</b><br/><br/>The Data &amp; Analytics Function oversees the analytics life-cycle in order to identify, analyze and present relevant insights that drive business decisions and anticipate opportunities to achieve a competitive advantage. This function manages analytic data platforms, the access, design and implementation of reporting/business intelligence solutions, and the application of advanced quantitative modeling.<br/><br/>Data Analytics applies business process knowledge and data analytics to develop, recommend and communicate timely, accurate, relevant and actionable insights to support business decisions and objectives.</p></div><p></p><p></p><p><b>Job Summary</b></p><p></p><p>The Category Planning team is a strategic business partner embedded deeply within Consumer Health Category Management, dedicated to turning market and performance data into a competitive advantage. By leveraging advanced analytics platforms and business intelligence tools, we uncover the story behind the numbers to solve complex commercial challenges. Our insights directly shape category strategies, influence product assortments, and drive measurable business growth. We serve as the vital link between data and execution, empowering Category Management leaders to anticipate market trends, track performance seamlessly, and make confident, profitable decisions.</p><p></p><p>As an Analytics Associate reporting to the Director of Category Planning, this role acts as an exciting launchpad into the analytics pillar of our team and is an ideal opportunity for early-career professionals looking to accelerate their growth. In this role, you won't just be pulling data - you will be the engine that powers our day-to-day business decisions. You will gain hands-on exposure to a wide array of advanced analytics tools, data ecosystems, and reporting processes, all while learning the inner workings of our commercial strategy. By driving foundational reporting, optimizing our data operations, and surfacing key metrics, you will directly add value to the business and build a strong foundation of technical and commercial acumen.</p><p></p><p></p><p><b>Responsibilities</b></p><ul><li><b>Powering Business Insights:</b> Drive the execution of recurring standard reports with consistent timing and formatting, ensuring stakeholders have the critical data they need to stay informed and agile</li><li><b>Solving Business Questions:</b> Transform ad hoc data requests into actionable deliverables by actively engaging with stakeholders to uncover the core business questions and confirming the optimal output</li><li><b>Managing the Data Pipeline:</b> Act as the frontline of our analytics operations by effectively triaging incoming requests and intelligently scoping requirements, deadlines, and stakeholder needs</li><li><b>Driving Analytics Delivery:</b> Keep the team's analytics engine running smoothly by maintaining an organized backlog, providing visibility into statuses, ETAs, and ownership across the organization</li><li><b>Safeguarding Data Health:</b> Be the proactive guardian of our reporting infrastructure by monitoring dashboard health, identifying broken links or missing data, and resolving issues before they reach the business user</li><li><b>Architecting Best Practices:</b> Build the foundation of our team's knowledge by thoughtfully documenting report logic, inputs, assumptions, and calculation notes in accessible Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)</li><li><b>Championing Data Literacy:</b> Empower stakeholders by guiding them to existing "single source of truth" dashboards, minimizing duplicative work and encouraging self-service data discovery</li><li><b>Ensuring Analytical Excellence:</b> Play a critical role in data integrity by performing essential quality assurance, including reasonableness checks, variance flags, and source reconciliations</li><li><b>Accelerating Your Growth:</b> Immerse yourself in the analytics ecosystem, rapidly developing a deep understanding of where our data lives, who owns it, and how each tool drives strategic value</li><li><b>Impacting Leadership Decisions:</b> Directly support business execution by preparing key metrics, summarizing critical insights, and highlighting potential risks or opportunities for business leaders ahead of pivotal meetings</li><li><b>Strategic Workload Management:</b> Learn to balance multiple priorities dynamically using strategic criteria such as business impact, urgency, and effort, while communicating tradeoffs collaboratively</li><li><b>Fostering Strong Partnerships:</b> Build trust and credibility across cross-functional teams by providing highly proactive updates, confirming request receipts, and closing the loop with exceptional attention to detail</li></ul><p></p><p></p><p><b>Qualifications</b></p><ul><li>Bachelor’s degree in Business Analytics, Data Analytics, Economics, Finance, Statistics, Data Science, or equivalent