PPIC Head

1. Job Purpose

To lead end-to-end production planning, material planning, inventory control and cross-functional coordination to ensure timely execution of the manufacturing plan, optimal utilization of production capacities, availability of materials, adherence to customer delivery schedules and cost-effective plant operations. The role works closely with Production, Stores, Procurement, QA, QC, Engineering, Regulatory Affairs and Supply Chain teams while maintaining applicable pharmaceutical GMP and quality requirements.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Production Planning and Scheduling

• Develop monthly, weekly and daily production plans based on demand forecasts, customer orders, inventory and available capacity.
• Prepare integrated manufacturing schedules for tablets, capsules, oral liquids, dry syrups and other dosage forms manufactured at the site.
• Monitor plan versus actual achievement and coordinate corrective actions for deviations.
• Identify capacity constraints, bottlenecks, machine-loading issues and manpower requirements.
• Coordinate batch sequencing, campaign planning, changeovers, cleaning requirements and line utilization.
• Align production schedules with batch documentation, product availability and dispatch commitments.

B. Material Requirement Planning (MRP)

• Prepare material requirement plans for APIs, excipients, packaging materials and other production-related materials.
• Ensure material availability in line with the approved production schedule and supplier lead times.
• Coordinate with Procurement and Stores on purchase orders, material receipts, shortages and delivery commitments.
• Track risks arising from supplier delays, quality holds, material rejections or testing delays.
• Coordinate with QA/QC on sampling, testing, release status and readiness of materials for manufacturing.
• Reduce production interruptions caused by material shortages, inaccurate planning or inadequate follow-up.

C. Inventory Control and Optimization

• Monitor raw material, packaging material, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods inventory.
• Establish suitable minimum, maximum and safety stock levels based on consumption, lead time and demand variability.
• Monitor slow-moving, non-moving, excess, near-expiry and obsolete inventory.
• Coordinate FEFO/FIFO practices with Stores and Quality, as applicable.
• Improve inventory turnover and reduce unnecessary working capital blocked in stock.
• Reconcile inventory discrepancies with Stores, Finance and relevant departments.
• Consider shelf life, retest dates and approved material status in planning decisions.

D. Capacity Planning and Resource Utilization

• Assess equipment capacity, line availability, production cycle times and manpower requirements.
• Identify constraints across granulation, compression, coating, capsule filling, blister packing and other relevant operations.
• Develop capacity-utilization reports and recommend improvement measures.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance and equipment downtime planning with Engineering.
• Support productivity improvement, reduction of idle time and optimization of production changeovers.
• Assess the impact of new products, additional volumes and demand changes on existing capacity.

E. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate with Production, QA, QC, Stores, Procurement, Engineering, Finance, Sales and Dispatch.
• Conduct periodic planning meetings to review material availability, batch status, production priorities and delivery commitments.
• Escalate critical shortages, capacity constraints, quality holds and schedule risks to Plant Management.
• Prioritize batches based on customer commitments, market requirements, export orders and business-critical demand.
• Communicate plan changes and revised timelines to relevant stakeholders.

F. GMP, Quality and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure planning and scheduling activities align with applicable GMP requirements, approved procedures and site quality systems.
• Coordinate production planning around QA/QC release timelines, validation activities, audits and regulatory commitments.
• Ensure planning decisions do not compromise approved manufacturing processes, cleaning requirements, line clearance or product quality.
• Maintain accurate and traceable planning records and inventory-related documentation.
• Support internal, customer and regulatory audits by providing relevant PPIC records and reports.
• Coordinate with Quality and Regulatory teams on product discontinuation, changes, holds and other events affecting schedules.

G. ERP/MRP Systems and Reporting

• Use ERP/MRP systems for demand planning, BOM-based material planning, inventory tracking, production orders and schedule monitoring.
• Maintain accurate planning master data, including BOMs, lead times, batch sizes and production cycle times, with relevant functions.
• Develop dashboards for plan versus actual production, material shortages, inventory, capacity utilization and order fulfilment.
• Provide timely reports to Plant Management on critical planning and supply risks.
• Drive data accuracy and disciplined transaction practices across the PPIC team.

H. Team Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Lead, train and develop the PPIC team.
• Establish clear responsibilities, review mechanisms and performance indicators.
• Promote ownership, coordination and timely escalation within the planning team.
• Lead root-cause analysis for recurring production delays, material shortages and schedule deviations.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives to improve planning accuracy, inventory efficiency and service levels.