Senior Manager - SCM Biscuits (Rajpura, Punjab)

Role & responsibilities

• Lead and manage end-to-end Supply Chain Management for the biscuits business, covering raw material and packaging material availability, production planning support, warehousing, finished goods management, dispatch, transportation, and distribution.

• Develop and execute supply chain plans in alignment with sales forecasts, market demand, production capacity, inventory norms, seasonality, promotions, and business priorities to ensure uninterrupted product availability.

• Coordinate closely with Production and Planning teams to ensure timely availability of raw materials, packaging materials, and other inputs required for manufacturing, while minimizing production stoppages and material shortages.

• Drive effective production planning and supply alignment by reviewing demand forecasts, production plans, stock positions, batch requirements, capacity constraints, and dispatch priorities for the biscuits portfolio.

• Ensure optimum inventory levels across RM, PM, WIP, and FG warehouses by establishing and monitoring appropriate stock norms, safety stock, reorder levels, ageing, slow-moving and non-moving inventory.

• Monitor finished goods availability and dispatch planning to ensure timely and complete servicing of distributors, depots, institutional customers, modern trade, e-commerce, and other sales channels as per business requirements.

• Plan and control primary and secondary logistics operations, including vehicle planning, route optimization, load consolidation, delivery schedules, freight management, and transportation capacity to achieve cost-effective and timely movement of goods.

• Manage and develop relationships with 3PLs, transporters, warehouse service providers, and other logistics partners, including service-level monitoring, rate negotiations, performance reviews, issue resolution, and contract compliance.

• Drive logistics cost optimization through route rationalization, vehicle utilization, freight-rate benchmarking, load optimization, reduction of detention and demurrage, and identification of alternative transportation solutions.

• Collaborate with Procurement, Production, Quality, Sales, Finance, and Commercial teams to resolve supply constraints, prioritize critical materials, manage demand-supply gaps, and ensure smooth end-to-end supply chain operations.

• Ensure effective warehouse operations for RM, PM, and FG, including receiving, inspection coordination, storage, material handling, picking, staging, dispatch, stock reconciliation, and adherence to defined SOPs.

• Maintain warehouse discipline and inventory accuracy through cycle counts, physical stock verification, system reconciliation, proper batch management, FIFO/FEFO practices, and control of damaged, expired, and obsolete inventory.

• Ensure proper handling and storage of biscuits and food-related materials, maintaining required hygiene, food safety, pest-control, temperature/humidity controls where applicable, and product protection standards throughout warehousing and logistics operations.

• Monitor and improve OTIF (On-Time In-Full) performance, order fulfilment, dispatch adherence, delivery lead time, vehicle turnaround time, warehouse productivity, inventory days, and logistics cost per unit/ton.

• Establish and review Supply Chain KPIs and dashboards, providing regular MIS and management reports covering inventory, dispatches, service levels, freight costs, warehouse performance, ageing, material availability, and operational exceptions.

• Identify supply chain bottlenecks and proactively develop corrective actions to improve service levels, reduce lead times, minimize stock-outs and excess inventory, and improve overall operational efficiency.

• Ensure accurate and timely logistics documentation and system transactions, including GRN, stock transfers, delivery documentation, e-way bills, invoices, dispatch documentation, freight bills, and transporter settlements in coordination with relevant functions.

• Work closely with Finance and Commercial teams to validate freight bills, monitor logistics budgets, control commercial leakages, track freight accruals, and ensure adherence to approved logistics costs and commercial terms.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across warehousing, logistics, inventory management, and distribution through process standardization, root-cause analysis, Lean/Kaizen practices, and elimination of operational waste.

• Lead digitalization and automation initiatives in SCM, including ERP/SAP-based planning, inventory visibility, warehouse management, transport tracking, automated dashboards, analytics, and data-driven decision-making.

• Ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, food safety, company, and EHS requirements across warehouses, transportation, material handling, and distribution operations, including regular audits and closure of identified gaps.

• Develop contingency and risk-mitigation plans for supply disruptions, transportation constraints, material shortages, production interruptions, seasonal demand fluctuations, and other supply chain risks.

• Lead, coach, and develop warehouse and logistics teams, defining KRAs, monitoring performance, building operational capability, and promoting a culture of accountability, safety, discipline, and continuous improvement.

• Conduct regular performance reviews with internal teams and external logistics partners, identify gaps against agreed SLAs/KPIs, and drive timely corrective and preventive actions.

• Support business expansion and new product launches by assessing supply chain requirements, warehouse capacity, logistics network readiness, inventory planning, distribution requirements, and operational scalability.

• Drive overall Supply Chain efficiency and service excellence by balancing product availability, inventory investment, logistics cost, operational capacity, and customer service requirements for the biscuits business.

Key Requirements:

Experience: 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain, Logistics, or Distribution Management within the FMCG or Food Manufacturing sector.

Education: B. Tech / MBA in Supply Chain Management, Operations, or related field.

Skills & Attributes:

• Strong understanding of supply chain planning, inventory management, and distribution operations.

• Proficiency in ERP systems (SAP / Oracle) and data analytics.

• Excellent negotiation, vendor management, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.

• Analytical mindset with focus on cost efficiency and service excellence.

• Familiarity with statutory compliance related to logistics and warehousing.

• Effective communication and cross-functional coordination skills.