Manager Production Planning and Inventory Control

Function: Supply & Procurement

Location: Resident at 3P (Third-Party) Manufacturing Site - Powder Formulations

Direct Reports: None (Individual Contributor)

Category: Nutrition (Powder Formats - Protein, Health Mixes, Sachets)

Role Purpose

Own end-to-end production planning and inventory control at the assigned 3P powder manufacturing site, translating the S&OP-approved plan into an executable production program, ensuring uninterrupted RM/PM availability, and driving site performance (fill rate, DOI, cost) as the senior supply representative embedded at the site. Acts as the escalation point between the 3P partner and central leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Capacity Management - Own the site-level production plan (weekly/monthly) basis demand signal from central S&OP, converting it into a batch-wise execution schedule against available capacity, changeover time, and shift structure. - Lead capacity planning discussions with the 3P partner - flag capacity gaps/surplus and drive de-bottlenecking or line augmentation decisions in partnership with central supply planning. - Own SKU/priority trade-off calls during constrained

supply situations, balancing NPD launches, key account fill rates, and promotional commitments. - Drive plan adherence review with 3P plant leadership; own RCA and corrective action for chronic deviations.

RM/PM Inventory & Working Capital Ownership - Own RM/PM inventory strategy at site - min-max/DOI norms, safety stock, and ordering cadence - balancing service level against working capital. - Review and approve RM/PM indent plan raised to central procurement; own consumption forecasting accuracy. - Own inventory health at site: aging, slow-moving/near-expiry stock, write-off risk - drive liquidation or return-to-vendor action. - Lead periodic physical-vs-system stock reconciliation and closure of variances with the 3P finance/store team.

3P Site Governance & Vendor Management - Act as the senior point of contact for the 3P manufacturer on all planning, material, and production-related matters; own the relationship at the operating level. - Chair the weekly/monthly business review with 3P plant leadership covering output, quality holds, material position, cost, and open escalations. - Partner with procurement on vendor performance (OTIF, quality rejections) for RM/PM suppliers feeding the site. - Own contingency planning for supply disruptions (vendor delays, quality holds, capacity loss) at the site.

Process Ownership - Ensure planning discipline and data hygiene on ERP/planning tools (Nova Core or equivalent) at the site. - Build and improve SOPs for production planning, material staging, and inventory control at the site. - Own the accuracy and timeliness of site MIS (production status, RM/PM position, DOI) shared with central leadership.

S&OP & Cross-Functional Alignment - Represent the site in the monthly S&OP cycle - provide constraints, risks, and capacity inputs to central demand-supply planning. - Partner with Quality/QA to ensure incoming/in-process quality turnaround does not bottleneck production. - Work with central procurement and logistics to

align inbound RM/PM flow and outbound dispatch planning.

Continuous Improvement - Drive initiatives to reduce inventory holding (RM/PM/FG), improve fill rate, and shorten plan-to-dispatch cycle time. - Identify and lead cost- reduction and wastage-reduction initiatives at the site in partnership with procurement, quality, and the 3P partner.

Qualifications & Experience

• Graduate/Postgraduate in Supply Chain, Operations, or related field (B.Tech/B.Pharm/MBA preferred for powder/nutraceutical formats).
• 6 years of experience in production planning/PPIC, with hands-on ownership of a 3P/contract manufacturing site (individual contributor, senior/independent scope).
• Prior experience in FMCG, nutraceutical, or pharma powder manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP systems (SAP/Oracle/Nova Core or equivalent), advanced Excel; exposure to S and OP processes.
• Comfortable being site-resident and operating with a high degree of autonomy, representing the company to an external manufacturing partner.

Key Skills

• Production scheduling, capacity planning, and constraint-based prioritization
• Inventory/working-capital management (DOI, min-max, aging)
• Vendor and stakeholder management at a senior/operating level
• SOP/process building and rigor
• Strong analytical and MIS orientation; comfortable presenting to central leadership

Key Interfaces

• Internal: Associate Director - Supply and Procurement, Central Supply Planning, Procurement, Quality, Logistics or Warehouse
• External: 3P Plant Leadership, 3P Production or store or QC teams, RM or PM vendors

Success Metrics

• Production plan adherence (%)
• RM/PM stock-out incidents at site (target: zero)
• DOI within defined band; working capital efficiency
• Inventory write-off/aging reduction (YoY)
• 3P site OTIF and cost performance
• MIS accuracy and turnaround

Disclaimer: This job posting has been aggregated from external source. Role details, content, and availability are subject to change. Applicants are advised to confirm the latest information directly on the company website before applying.