Palo Alto Channel Distribution Order Operations Specialist 

United States, California 

112348357

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.

I. Distributor Order Processing & Backlog Management

• Process Channel Stocking Replenishment (Sell-in) Orders from assigned Distributor accounts promptly and accurately.
• Manage order backlog and confirm stocking order commit dates directly with Distributors, providing clear communication on order status.
• Report account concerns related to order processing or fulfillment to Channel or Fulfillment Operations Management as needed.

II. Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, & Replenishment (CPFR) Support

• Plan and conduct Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) calls with Channel Distributors, contributing to data collection and discussion.
• Review and align with Distributors on channel inventory and Weeks of Supply (WOS), ensuring alignment with projected sell-through targets.
• Identify basic gaps in demand and supply plans within the distribution channel and escalate findings to the appropriate teams.
• Track Ship-from-Stock trends to monitor Distributor inventory health and order fulfillment efficiency.
• Support Channel Program Management with data input for planning and forecasting activities.

III. Point of Sale (POS) Processing & Reconciliation

• Manage the receipt and processing of POS files received from assigned Distributor accounts, critical for accurate revenue recognition.
• Reconcile and troubleshoot POS data issues, including discrepancies in Serial Numbers, Quote IDs, or Claim amounts, directly impacting financial accuracy.
• Communicate POS discrepancies to Distributors for timely resolution and correction.
• Reload error or “rejected” POS findings into SAP to ensure accurate system records for revenue reporting.
• Collaborate closely with finance to resolve reconciliation file issues related to POS data, ensuring data integrity for revenue accounting.
• Perform weekly reconciliation of POS data versus Sell-Through orders, ensuring alignment between Distributor Sell-through reports, SAP (POS records), and SFDC (Closed and Negative Opportunity data), which is fundamental for true-up calculations and auditability.
• Maintain organized POS folders for assigned accounts, ensuring easy access to historical data for financial audits.

IV. Distributor Inventory & Credit Memo Reconciliation

• Track the timely receipt and accuracy of Distributor-reported On-Hand (OH) inventory data, which is vital for accurate inventory management and financial reporting.
• Reconcile Distributor-reported inventory with internal system-calculated inventory figures, investigating and reporting variances to ensure correct financial valuation of channel inventory.
• Resolve POS discrepancies directly related to credit memo processes, ensuring accurate adjustments for revenue accounting.
• Validate credit memos with accounts and make corrections as needed before submission to ensure proper financial adjustments.
• Submit reconciled credit memos to finance and sales for finalization/approvals, directly supporting revenue adjustments and true-up processes.
• Trigger Credit Memos in SAP for Distributors once approved, ensuring timely and accurate financial transactions.
• Track and maintain monthly approved credits in respective folders for audit and reference, crucial for revenue reconciliation and audit trails.
• Work with finance on reconciliation file issues pertaining to inventory adjustments and credit memos, contributing to overall financial accuracy.

V. Operational Support & Process Improvement

• You will be responsible for streamlining and improving process and data management efficiency in Channel Distribution operations by leveraging AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) where applicable. This includes optimizing daily tasks, assisting with data summarization, and improving communication methods.
• Serve as a key operational contact for routine inquiries and escalations from assigned Channel Distributors, routing requests to appropriate internal teams (e.g., sales, support, operations).
• Ensure all Distributor order processing and reporting adheres to established program terms and conditions.
• Align overall operational activity with SOX compliance.
• Generate standard reports on order progress, transactional volume, and basic Distributor operational performance metrics.

Contribute to the continuous improvement of our order operations processes and tools by providing feedback and assisting with implementation.

Your Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in a support, coordination, or operational role within the high-tech industry (e.g., software, hardware, cloud services, networking, cybersecurity), with direct exposure to order management, distribution, or supply chain.
• Strong understanding of Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) principles and practical experience participating in CPFR processes, ideally within a distribution or supply chain context.
• Demonstrated experience with high-volume transactional data processing, reconciliation, and working with large datasets (e.g., POS, inventory reports), with a strong focus on data accuracy for financial reporting.
• Proficiency in common business software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace), with advanced Excel skills for data manipulation and analysis, particularly for reconciliation tasks.
• Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems like SAP for order processing, data entry, and financial transaction triggering is highly desirable.
• Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) is a plus.
• Demonstrated practical experience with AI tools and Large Language Models (LLMs) for business applications (e.g., automating tasks, data summarization, generating reports, improving communication efficiency).
• Exceptional organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks and adhere to strict deadlines, especially vital for financial data integrity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a professional and helpful demeanor for interacting with both internal teams and external Distributors, as well as finance and accounting departments.
• Infrequent travel of about 5% may be required for periodic meetings with Distribution Partners.

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $104,00 - $156,000/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found .

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.