Strategy Manager

Strategy Manager – Sourcing, Production & Manufacturing (MD's Office)

Company: BIBA Fashion Limited

Location: Gurgaon

Reporting To: Managing Director

Function: MD's Office / Strategy

Role Level: Manager / Senior Manager, depending on experience

Role Purpose

BIBA Fashion Limited is looking for a high-calibre professional to work closely with the Managing Director and support the strategic agenda across Sourcing, Production, Manufacturing and Supply Chain-related operations.

This is not a conventional Strategy Manager role. The incumbent will operate as part of the MD's Office, working as a strategy and execution partner to the Managing Director. The role will involve business analysis, strategic planning, project management, performance reviews and driving cross-functional initiatives across the sourcing and manufacturing ecosystem.

The individual will work closely with the MD as well as senior leaders across Sourcing, Production, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Merchandising and related functions to ensure that strategic priorities are translated into measurable business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Business Planning

• Partner with the Managing Director in developing the strategic roadmap for Sourcing, Production and Manufacturing.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve sourcing competitiveness, manufacturing productivity, cost structures, quality and overall supply-chain efficiency.
• Conduct detailed business analysis and identify opportunities for cost optimisation, productivity enhancement, lead-time reduction and capacity improvement.
• Support annual and long-term operating plans for the respective functions.
• Benchmark BIBA's sourcing and manufacturing practices against industry best practices and leading apparel organisations.
• Develop business cases and recommendations for new initiatives, investments, manufacturing models and strategic partnerships.

2. Sourcing Strategy

• Analyse sourcing performance across vendors, product categories, geographies and manufacturing locations.
• Support development of an optimum vendor and sourcing strategy based on cost, capability, quality, capacity, lead time and reliability.
• Analyse vendor concentration and identify opportunities for vendor consolidation, development or diversification.
• Track fabric, trims, garment and conversion costs and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
• Develop sourcing dashboards covering key business metrics such as:
• Cost
• Lead time
• Vendor performance
• Capacity
• OTIF
• Quality
• Order fulfilment
• Work with sourcing teams on strategic vendor negotiations and performance improvement initiatives.

3. Production & Manufacturing Strategy

• Work closely with Production and Manufacturing teams to review:
• Capacity utilisation
• Production efficiency
• Line productivity
• Manpower productivity
• Production planning
• WIP
• Rejection and alteration
• Quality
• Cost per piece
• Production adherence
• Dispatch adherence
• Identify operational bottlenecks and drive structured improvement initiatives.
• Support productivity enhancement through improved planning, processes, automation, technology and manpower deployment.
• Evaluate Make vs Buy / In-house vs Outsourcing opportunities.
• Review manufacturing capacity requirements against future business growth plans.
• Support development of factory expansion, productivity and manufacturing excellence plans.

4. MD Reviews & Management Governance

• Establish a structured review mechanism for Sourcing, Production and Manufacturing.
• Prepare data-driven presentations, dashboards and decision papers for the Managing Director.
• Coordinate weekly/monthly business reviews with respective functional heads.
• Track key decisions, actions, owners and timelines emerging from MD reviews.
• Follow up with respective stakeholders to ensure closure of agreed actions.
• Highlight delays, risks and deviations proactively to the Managing Director.
• Convert large volumes of operational data into concise management insights and actionable recommendations.

5. Strategic Projects / PMO

Act as the MD Office PMO for identified strategic projects, including areas such as:

• Manufacturing productivity
• Cost reduction
• Vendor optimisation
• Capacity planning
• Supply-chain improvement
• Lead-time reduction
• Quality improvement
• Factory performance
• Operational excellence
• Automation
• Technology implementation
• New manufacturing initiatives
• Strategic sourcing initiatives

For each project, establish:

• Clear objective
• Baseline
• Target
• Project owner
• Milestones
• Timelines
• Financial impact
• Progress tracking
• Closure mechanism

6. Cost & Financial Analytics

• Work closely with Finance and Operations teams to understand the financial impact of sourcing and manufacturing decisions.
• Product costing
• Material costs
• Conversion costs
• Manufacturing overheads
• Productivity impact
• Vendor economics
• Factory economics
• Identify opportunities for structural cost reduction without compromising quality or customer proposition.
• Track financial benefits arising from strategic initiatives.

7. Data Analytics & Decision Support

Develop comprehensive MIS and dashboards for the MD covering:

• Sourcing cost trends
• Vendor performance
• Production performance
• Manufacturing efficiency
• Capacity utilisation
• Productivity
• Quality
• OTIF
• Lead times
• Cost per piece
• Plan vs Actual production
• Factory manpower
• Inventory / WIP
• Strategic project progress

The role should move beyond reporting numbers and provide clear answers to:

What has happened

Why has it happened

What is the business impact

What corrective action is required

8. Cross-Functional Coordination

Work closely with:

• Managing Director
• Sourcing
• Production
• Manufacturing
• Quality
• Merchandising
• Design
• Supply Chain
• Finance

Drive cross-functional alignment and ensure critical business decisions are implemented within agreed timelines.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance will be evaluated on parameters including:

• Improvement in sourcing cost competitiveness
• Manufacturing productivity improvement
• Reduction in production lead time
• Production plan adherence
• Capacity utilisation
• Improvement in OTIF
• Reduction in rejection / alteration
• Improvement in vendor performance
• Identified and delivered cost savings
• Closure of MD action points
• Timely implementation of strategic projects
• Quality of business analysis and recommendations
• Effectiveness of management dashboards and review mechanisms

Candidate Profile

Education

Preferred qualifications:

• MBA / PGDM from a reputed institution
• Engineering + MBA would be advantageous
• Candidates with exposure to Operations, Supply Chain, Apparel Manufacturing or Strategy will be preferred

Experience

5–10 years of relevant experience, preferably in one or more of the following areas:

• CEO / MD Office
• Corporate Strategy
• Management Consulting
• Business Excellence
• Apparel Sourcing
• Garment Manufacturing
• Operations
• Supply Chain
• Strategic Projects / PMO

Exposure to the Apparel, Fashion, Retail, Textile or Consumer Products industry would be strongly preferred.

Functional Competencies

The ideal candidate should possess:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• Excellent understanding of business and financial metrics
• Advanced Excel skills
• Strong PowerPoint and management presentation skills
• Ability to structure complex business problems
• Strong project-management capability
• Understanding of manufacturing / sourcing economics
• Strong data interpretation skills
• Ability to independently prepare management dashboards and decision papers

Behavioural Competencies

The role requires someone who is:

• Highly analytical
• Execution-oriented
• Structured and disciplined
• Curious and intellectually sharp
• Comfortable challenging assumptions with data
• Able to work directly with senior leadership
• Strong in follow-through and closure
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
• Capable of handling confidential and sensitive business information
• Strong in stakeholder management
• Willing to spend time in factories/vendor locations when required

What Makes This Role Unique

This position provides direct exposure to the Managing Director and the core operating engine of BIBA Fashion Limited.

The incumbent will have the opportunity to work on business-critical initiatives across Sourcing, Manufacturing, Production and Operational Excellence, with visibility across the complete apparel value chain.

The role can potentially develop into a broader Strategy / Business Operations / Sourcing / Manufacturing leadership position based on performance and organisational requirements.