Channel Distribution Order Operations Specialist - job 1 of 2

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Your Career

This role is essential in ensuring the smooth and efficient flow of products through our Channel Distributors by managing daily operational tasks and acting as a key point of contact for transactional activities. The Channel Distribution Order Operations Specialist will primarily focus on processing orders, managing inventory data, reconciling discrepancies, and coordinating efforts to support our Distributors and optimize fulfillment processes within our high-tech environment. This position plays a critical part in supporting Revenue Accounting by ensuring accuracy in Inventory Management, facilitating precise POS reconciliation, and managing True-up Credits. Close collaboration with Channel Management is essential to achieve our operational efficiency and revenue goals.

Your Impact

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.

The Team

The Channel Distribution Order Operations team serves as a strategic function within our Worldwide Operations Group, acting as an extension of our Worldwide Order Operations team. This team engages in direct collaboration with our Planning, Order Operations, Fulfillment, and Logistics functions to ensure a seamless and efficient supply chain. As a Channel Distribution Order Operations Specialist, you'll take on a critical role in ensuring our global channel partners possess the correct inventory, in appropriate quantities and locations, to satisfy the requirements of our shared customers.

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 here.

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that take risks and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at  [email protected].

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

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

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.