Senior Manager – Planning (S&OP)

Role Summary

We are looking for a Senior Manager – Planning to own the end-to-end Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process. The role sits at the intersection of demand and supply, driving consensus across Commercial, Operations, Procurement, and Finance to balance service, inventory, and cost. You will be the single source of truth for supply visibility — ensuring stores and channels are reliably replenished while inventory targets are met and working capital is optimized.

This is a high-ownership role for someone who enjoys turning fragmented data into decisions that senior leadership can act on.

Key Responsibilities

S&OP / IBP Ownership

• Own and run the monthly S&OP / IBP cycle end to end — demand review, supply review, pre-S&OP, and executive S&OP — driving consensus and serve as the voice of the plan across the organization.
• Build the rolling 18–24 month consensus forecast by reconciling commercial sales plans, financial plans, and the statistical baseline.
• Articulate risks and opportunities through fact-based analysis and present an unbiased, decision-ready view to senior management.
• Allocation of inventories between different channels- Keeping communication current and updated
• Risk Mitigation and overall Revenue maximization

Procurement Planning

• Working with procurement leads on getting supply commits-Deriving procurement Plan for organization for next 3-6 months with focus on resilence and alternate suppliers where there is risk

Demand Planning

• Lead statistical and consensus forecasting; analyze historical sales, seasonality, promotions, and POS/consumption data to improve forecast accuracy and reduce bias.
• Manage new product introductions (NPI), phase-ins/phase-outs, and discontinuations with clean demand alignment.

Supply & Demand Balancing

• Translate the demand plan into a feasible supply plan (MPS/DRP), resolving demand–supply imbalances in partnership with procurement and operations.
• Identify network constraints and under-utilization; escalate and drive resolution before they impact service.

Replenishment & Store Fulfilment

• Own replenishment planning to stores / outlets / channels, ensuring the right product is at the right place at the right time.
• Improve service metrics — fill rate, OTIF, on-shelf availability — while controlling cost-to-serve.

Multi-Vendor Management & Supply Visibility

• Coordinate supply across multiple vendors and co-manufacturers; track commitments, lead times, and adherence.
• Build and maintain supply visibility dashboards and cadences so stakeholders have a live, reliable view of inbound supply and coverage.

Inventory & Working Capital

• Set and manage inventory targets (days of supply, coverage norms, safety stock) by SKU/channel to hit service goals at the lowest viable inventory.
• Drive down slow-movers, excess, and obsolescence; optimize working capital and support revenue maximization by minimizing lost sales and stock-outs.

Continuous Improvement & Team

• Improve forecasting, replenishment, and planning processes; strengthen planning systems and data quality.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of planners; raise the analytical bar across the function.

Preferred / Good to Have

• APICS CPIM/CSCP or equivalent supply chain certification.
• Experience in a multi-vendor, multi-location, high-SKU, retail/store-replenishment environment.
• Exposure to demand sensing, statistical forecasting methods, and planning transformation projects.

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• A predictable, well-attended S&OP/IBP cadence that leadership trusts for decisions.
• Measurable gains in forecast accuracy and service (fill rate / OTIF / availability).
• Inventory and working capital reduced at or better than target service levels, with excess and obsolescence trending down.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: MBA in Operations / Supply Chain Management preferred; or Graduate (B.E./B.Tech or equivalent) with strong hands-on S&OP experience.
• Experience: 8+ years in demand/supply planning, of which recent years in CPG / FMCG / F&B, with demonstrated ownership of an S&OP or IBP process.
• Proven track record on forecast accuracy, inventory optimization, service levels, and working-capital improvement.
• Strong command of planning systems (SAP APO/IBP, Kinaxis, o9, Blue Yonder, or similar) and advanced Excel; comfort with BI/analytics tools.
• Excellent stakeholder management — able to influence Commercial, Finance, and Operations and build cross-functional consensus.
• Strong analytical, communication, and structured problem-solving skills.