Supply Planner_ Head Office

Job Title: Central Supply Planner
Location: Head Office (HO), Bopal , Ahmedabad
Function: Supply Chain / Planning

Department: Manufacturing
Level: Manager / Senior Manager/AGM
Reporting To: Head of Manufacturing

Role Purpose

The Supply Planner, based at HO, will lead the supply planning agenda by translating the approved demand plan into a realistic, capacity-feasible and service-oriented supply plan. The role will anchor the S&OP process, conduct rough-cut capacity planning (RCCP), identify capacity and supply constraints across plants, and work cross-functionally with Demand Planning, plant teams, procurement and logistics to deliver high service levels, optimized inventory and disciplined production planning.

Key Responsibilities

S&OP Leadership and Governance

• Lead the monthly S&OP cycle, including supply review preparation, constraint review, scenario planning and escalation of key business risks.
• Convert the consensus demand plan into an executable supply plan aligned with plant capacities, inventory targets and service-level expectations.
• Drive structured decision-making on demand-supply gaps, prioritization, allocation and production trade-offs.

Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP)

Prepare short-, medium- and long-range capacity outlook by line, plant, SKU family and critical resource.

• Identify bottlenecks across production lines, manpower, cold storage/warehouse capacity, utilities, materials and logistics readiness.
• Recommend mitigation actions such as line balancing, overtime/shift planning, outsourcing/co-packing, inventory pre-build, SKU prioritization or CAPEX trigger points.

Plant Coordination and Constraint Management

Work closely with plant teams to validate production feasibility, changeover constraints, maintenance shutdowns, yield losses, quality holds and manpower limitations.

• Maintain a live view of supply constraints including RM/PM availability, vendor lead times, plant downtime, cold-chain limitations and dispatch constraints.
• Ensure timely escalation of supply risks with fact-based alternatives and recovery plans.

Demand-to-Supply Plan Conversion

Collaborate with Demand Planner and Sales teams to understand forecast assumptions, seasonality, activation plans, new product launches and regional requirements.

• Convert SKU-wise and region/depot-wise demand into production, dispatch and inventory plans.
• Ensure the final supply plan supports the sales plan while balancing freshness, working capital and operational efficiency.

Inventory and Service-Level Management

• Monitor finished goods inventory, ageing, stock cover, slow-moving stock and replenishment priorities across plants/depots.
• Support inventory policies for seasonal build-up, peak demand readiness, minimum stock levels and capacity-led allocation.
• Track service levels, plan adherence and stock-out risks; coordinate corrective actions with stakeholders.

Planning Systems, Data and Reporting

• Maintain planning master data, capacity assumptions, planning calendars, production constraints and forecast versions in the planning system or master planning file.
• Publish weekly/monthly supply planning dashboards covering capacity utilization, demand-supply gaps, plan adherence, inventory health and action trackers.
• Drive continuous improvement in planning accuracy, data discipline, process governance and digital planning tools.

Key Experience / Skillset

• Strong understanding of S&OP, demand-supply balancing, supply planning, production planning and inventory management.
• Hands-on experience in rough-cut capacity planning, line capacity analysis, bottleneck identification and constraint-based planning.
• Ability to work with plant teams and convert operational constraints into clear planning assumptions and business decisions.
• Good analytical skills with strong command over Excel; experience with ERP/MRP/APS tools such as SAP, Oracle, Kinaxis, O9, Anaplan or similar systems is preferred.
• Understanding of manufacturing KPIs such as capacity utilization, plan adherence, OTIF/service level, inventory days, freshness/ageing and production efficiency.
• Strong cross-functional coordination, stakeholder management and communication skills.

Required Experience

• 8-12 years of experience in supply planning, production planning, S&OP, demand-supply management or related supply chain planning roles.
• At least 3 years of direct experience in S&OP execution or supply planning in an FMCG, foods, dairy, ice cream, frozen food, beverages, pharma or process manufacturing environment.
• Experience working with multiple plants, high SKU complexity, seasonal demand cycles and constrained capacity environments will be an advantage.
• Exposure to cold-chain, perishable or shelf-life-sensitive products is desirable.

Qualification

• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Commerce or related discipline.
• MBA / PGDM in Operations, Supply Chain or Logistics is preferred.
• Certification in APICS CPIM/CSCP, Lean Six Sigma, S&OP/IBP, advanced Excel, Power BI or supply chain analytics will be an added advantage.

Desired Skills and Attributes

• Structured, data-driven and detail-oriented planning mindset.
• High ownership and ability to drive closure across functions without direct reporting authority.
• Strong problem-solving ability during supply disruptions, peak-season pressure and capacity shortages.
• Commercial understanding of how planning decisions impact sales, working capital, logistics cost and customer service.
• Comfort with senior management reviews and ability to present clear options, assumptions, risks and recommendations.

Desired Role Level

• Recommended level: Manager/Senior Manager Supply Planning, depending on candidate experience and organization structure.

• Role should be positioned as an HO planning governance role with strong dotted-line working relationship with plant PPC/planning teams.