Head of Planning, SSC India

Position Overview – Planning Head

The Planning Head is responsible for leading the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process and managing end-to-end demand and supply planning . The role ensures accurate forecasting, inventory alignment, coordinated supply responses, and cross-functional business alignment. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical skills, collaborative leadership, and deep planning expertise.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)

• Own and run the monthly S&OP cycle including demand review, supply review, and executive S&OP meetings.
• Drive alignment between Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Global Teams.
• Build consensus forecasts and ensure commitment on business targets.
• Track performance vs. plan and implement corrective actions.

2. Demand Planning

• Develop SKU-level demand forecasts leveraging statistical tools, historical trends, market insights, and commercial inputs.
• Analyze forecast accuracy, bias, and demand variability; implement continuous improvements.
• Collaborate with Sales and Marketing to integrate market intelligence, new product introductions, and promotional activities.
• Maintain rolling forecasts and scenario analyses for better decision-making.

3. Supply Planning

• Translate demand forecasts into supply plans in coordination with global factories, procurement, and warehousing teams.
• Ensure inventory availability while optimizing working capital and reducing excess/slow-moving stock.
• Manage supply constraints, lead-time variability, and capacity bottlenecks.
• Develop allocation strategies during shortages and ensure customer priority alignment.

4. Inventory Planning & Optimization

• Work closely with warehouse and procurement teams to maintain optimal stock levels.
• Monitor safety stocks, reorder points, and replenishment strategies.
• Drive actions to minimize stockouts, expedite requests, and aging inventory.
• Lead inventory health reviews using KPI dashboards.

5. Process Excellence & Analytics

• Implement best practices in planning including statistical forecasting, ABC/XYZ classification, and segmentation strategies.
• Drive digitization through ERP, planning tools, dashboards, and analytics platforms.
• Build robust planning SOPs, governance routines, review cadences, and escalation mechanisms.

6. Stakeholder Management

• Work cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Service, Operations, and Global Teams.
• Serve as the central point of alignment between demand and supply sides of the business.
• Communicate planning insights, risks, and recommendations to leadership.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 8–10 years of experience in S&OP, Demand Planning, Supply Planning, or Integrated Business Planning.
• Strong analytical skills with expertise in forecasting techniques and planning tools.
• Proficiency in SAP, ERP systems , and visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau).
• Strong communication, cross-functional collaboration, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to manage ambiguity, lead structured planning cycles, and drive decisions.
• Exposure to optical, medical devices, or high-tech product portfolios is an advantage.