Head - Supply Chain - Consumer Food - IIM/IIT/XLRI/ISB/FMS

Head of Supply Chain

Fast-Growing Consumer Food Brand - India

Reporting To: Co-Founder

Location: Mumbai

Experience: Minimum 10 Years

Education: Tier 1 Institution (IIM / IIT or equivalent)

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are a high-growth consumer food brand scaling rapidly across D2C, quick commerce (Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart), and horizontal e-commerce platforms (Flipkart, Amazon). As we expand our product portfolio and geographic footprint, we are looking for a sharp, execution-driven Head of Supply Chain to own the end-to-end supply chain function - from demand forecasting and inventory strategy to last-mile logistics.

This is a high-impact leadership role that sits at the intersection of data, operations, and customer experience. You will build and scale a resilient, cost-efficient supply chain capable of supporting hypergrowth across both offline and online channels.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Forecasting & Demand Planning:

- Lead statistical and commercial demand forecasting across all SKUs, channels, and geographies

- Build and continuously refine demand planning models integrating sell-through data, marketing calendars, seasonality, and platform trends

- Drive S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) cadence with commercial and category teams

- Develop scenario-based planning for new product launches, festive peaks, and platform-specific promotions

2. Supply & Production Planning:

- Translate demand plans into procurement and manufacturing schedules aligned with supplier lead times and capacity

- Manage procurement of raw materials and packaging in coordination with R&D and sourcing teams

- Establish buffer stock norms and replenishment triggers to ensure zero stockout on top-moving SKUs

- Work with co-manufacturers and in-house production to optimize batch planning and minimize waste

3. Inventory Management:

- Own inventory health across all nodes: factory, 3PL warehouses, dark stores, and platform FCs

- Set and govern inventory norms for each channel - e-com, qcom, modern trade, and general trade

- Drive reduction of dead stock, aging inventory, and write-offs through proactive monitoring and clearance protocols

- Build real-time inventory visibility dashboards across the network

- Manage platform-level inventory allocations for Zepto, Blinkit, Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, and others

4. Logistics & Distribution:

- Design and manage the logistics network - primary (factory to warehouse) and secondary (warehouse to channel/customer)

- Manage 3PL partnerships: SLA governance, cost benchmarking, and continuous performance improvement

- Optimize freight costs through lane consolidation, mode mix, and carrier negotiations

- Ensure compliance with cold chain / temperature-controlled logistics wherever applicable

- Drive on-time-in-full (OTIF) metrics and proactively resolve bottlenecks affecting serviceability

5. E-Commerce & Quick Commerce Operations:

- Lead supply chain strategy for qcom platforms (Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart) - from replenishment to dark store allocation

- Manage seller/account-level operational KPIs on Flipkart, Amazon (FBA/FBF), and other marketplaces

- Partner with key account managers to align supply with platform promotional calendars

- Resolve operational escalations related to in-stock rates, returns, and claim management

6. Team & Systems:

- Build and mentor a high-performing supply chain team across planning, logistics, and operations

- Evaluate and implement supply chain tools/ERP - WMS, TMS, demand planning software

- Define and track supply chain KPIs: forecast accuracy, fill rate, OTIF, inventory turns, freight cost as % of revenue

- Present supply chain performance, risks, and opportunities to the leadership team monthly

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

Qualifications & Experience:

- MBA / PGDM from a Tier 1 institution (IIM A/B/C/L/K/M, IIT, XLRI, ISB, FMS, or equivalent)

- Minimum 10 years of progressive supply chain experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role

- Prior experience at a high-growth consumer food, FMCG, or D2C brand strongly preferred

- Hands-on experience managing supply chain for quick commerce platforms (Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart) and e-commerce (Flipkart, Amazon) is mandatory

Technical & Functional Skills:

- Strong command of demand forecasting methodologies and S&OP processes

- Deep understanding of inventory optimization - safety stock, reorder points, EOQ, ABC/XYZ classification

- Proficiency in supply chain tools: SAP / Oracle / NetSuite / Unicommerce / Increff or equivalent

- Data-driven mindset - comfortable with Excel, SQL, Power BI / Tableau for operational analysis

- Knowledge of platform operations: Seller Central (Amazon), Flipkart Seller Hub, Zepto/Blinkit supplier portals

- Understanding of food safety, shelf-life management, and FSSAI compliance in supply chain context

Leadership & Soft Skills:

- Entrepreneurial energy - ability to operate with ambiguity and build from scratch

- Strong cross-functional stakeholder management - comfortable working with sales, marketing, finance, and operations

- Analytical rigour combined with executional hustle

- Excellent communication and presentation skills for CXO-level reporting

- Bias for process-building and scalable systems thinking

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:

- Forecast Accuracy (WMAPE) > 85%

- OTIF (On-Time In-Full) > 95%

- In-Stock Rate - Qcom Platforms > 98%

- Inventory Turns Category-appropriate; improve YoY

- Dead Stock / Write-off % < 1% of revenue

- Freight Cost as % of Net Revenue Defined target per channel

- Fill Rate (Orders Fulfilled vs Received) > 97%

WHY JOIN US:

- High-ownership role at the leadership table of a fast-scaling food brand

- Opportunity to build and shape the supply chain function from the ground up

- Competitive compensation with performance-linked incentives and ESOPs

- Work alongside a passionate, execution-focused founding team

- Exposure to the full complexity of modern omnichannel supply chain - offline, e-com, and qcom