Assistant Commercial Manager

Job Title: Assistant Manager Commercial

Location: Dhule
**Reporting to:**Plant Head/ AGM- Commercial
Industry: Home & Personal Care (3rd Party Manufacturing)

Job Summary:

The Assistant Manager- Commercial will oversee and drive all procurement-related activities across all assigned plant locations. This includes strategic sourcing of raw and packaging materials, vendor development, cost management, and ensuring consistent material availability for uninterrupted production. A key responsibility is to lead and coordinate with the plant purchase teams to align procurement operations with corporate strategy, improve standardization, and ensure compliance across units.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Procurement Planning

• Identify sourcing risks and establish alternate vendor options to ensure supply continuity.

2. Raw Material & Packaging Material Procurement

• Procure raw materials and packaging materials strictly as per specifications, standards, and quality parameters defined by the customer.
• Ensure sourcing is done only from customer-approved or nominated vendors as per the agreement or contract.
• Liaise with R&D, QA, and customer teams for alignment on material quality, testing, and compliance requirements.

3. Vendor Development and Management

• Coordinate with approved vendors to ensure timely deliveries, consistent quality, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead price negotiations, develop annual rate contracts, and manage vendor performance through scorecards and reviews.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with strategic suppliers.
• Develop new vendors and alternate sources for better pricing options.

4. Plant Purchase Team Coordination

• Lead and coordinate with all plant-level purchase teams to ensure uniform implementation of procurement policies and adherence to customer requirements.
• Standardize procurement practices, systems, and documentation across all units.
• Conduct regular review meetings with site purchase teams to track procurement status, resolve issues, and share updates.

5. Demand & Production Planning Linkage

• Ensure procurement plans are aligned with rolling production plans and firm monthly demand shared by customers.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and proactively adjust procurement to avoid shortages or excess inventory.

6. Inventory & Working Capital Management

• Define and maintain minimum stock levels (safety stock, reorder points, buffer norms) across plants.
• Optimize inventory holding to balance working capital efficiency with uninterrupted production.
• Regularly review slow-moving / near-expiry materials and take corrective actions.

7. Logistics & Supply Assurance

• Coordinate inbound logistics of raw and packaging materials across multiple plants to ensure timely delivery.
• Monitor lead times, transit delays, and customs clearance (if imported materials).
• Develop contingency plans for supply disruptions (festivals, strikes, natural calamities, vendor shutdowns).

8. Quality Rejections

• Manage raw material (RM) and packaging material (PM) rejections in line with defined SOP timelines.
• Ensure closure of cases whether involving full consignment, partial rejection, or in-line rejection.
• Coordinate with vendors, QA, and plant teams to ensure corrective actions and prevent recurrence.

10. Interdepartmental & Customer Coordination

• Work closely with Supply Chain Planning, Production, Quality, and Finance to align procurement with production needs and budgets.
• Liaison for customer procurement teams for all supply chain and vendor-related matters.

11. Procurement Systems & Reporting

• Use ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.) for end-to-end procurement transactions and reporting.
• Audit/validate Bill of Materials (BOM) for new product additions made by customers.
• Generate and present reports on procurement performance, spend analysis, price trends, and savings initiatives.

12. Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure all materials are sourced in compliance with statutory regulations, food safety standards (e.g., FSSAI), and customer-specific guidelines.
• Maintain accurate documentation for traceability, audits, and customer inspections.

Key Skills & Competencies:

• Strong procurement and negotiation skills
• In-depth understanding of HPC procurement
• Knowledge of customer-specific sourcing standards and compliance
• Experience in coordinating with plant and customer teams
• Proficiency in ERP systems and data analysis
• Excellent communication and relationship management

Educational Qualification:

• Graduate in Engineering / Science / Commerce
• MBA in Supply Chain / Operations / Materials Management preferred

Experience:

• 7-10 years of procurement experience in Home & Personal Care industry