Mankind Pharma - Lead - Demand Planner

We are looking for a motivated and self-driven individual to join us as Lead Demand Planner. You will work with sales & marketing team in domestic formulations in ensuring impeccable customer service through accurate forecasting and effective inventory management

Key deliverables:

- Timely completion of forecasting and monthly demand planning activities for the allotted divisions

- Timely execution of strategic activities like Cost To Serve

- FG inventory management across the pipeline

- Ensure demand planning metrics are at desired levels

- Representing respective divisions demand planning function in S&OP and Pre-S&OP meetings

Key metrics:

- On time in full

- Pending Orders

- Forecast Accuracy

- Forecast Fidelity

- Inventory Days- FG (as per scientific norms)

- FG write off within agreed tolerance

- Adherence to agreed timelines for S&OP process

- Adherence to agreed timelines for NPL (on Supply Chain activities)

Key Roles/Responsibilities:

Strategic:

Budgeting:

- Provide long term forecasts for annual budgets and long range planning

Cost to Serve (CTS):

- Conduct product portfolio evaluation/ pricing analysis / inventory norms analysis based on CTS computations and other strategic factors

- Identify and implement demand side CTS improvement initiatives

FG Inventory Management:

- Validate FG inventory norms based on demand-supply variability, lead times and desired service levels for all SKUs and make suitable corrections

Sales Forecasting Segmentation

- Validate Sales forecasting segmentation based on demand variability and contribution to sales for all SKUs and make suitable corrections

Customer satisfaction:

- Coordinate with sales and marketing team and distribution team to capture voice of customer and monitor customer service levels

- Plan and execute initiatives / interventions based on customer feedback to enhance customer satisfaction

Operational:

Demand forecasting:

- Create base forecast based on statistical sales data (primary & secondary) and market intelligence

- Facilitate bottom up forecasts creation from Regional Teams for each Division

- Discuss base forecast and bottom up forecasts with sales & marketing team and develop consensus forecast

- Upload consensus forecast in system and share with Supply Planning Team

Pre S&OP and S&OP:

- Represent respective division in the pre-S&OP forum and S&OP forum

- Escalate unresolved issues to Head - Demand Planning

FG Masters Management:

- Ensure hygiene and maintenance of FG master data (inventory norms, transit lead time, outdated forecasts / orders, potential expiry / expired stock, unwanted sales orders / open deliveries, NPL indicators)

- Maintain material master and ensure update of all information

FG Inventory Management:

- Monitor FG inventory across the pipeline (stockists/ distributors, CFA locations, in-transit, CWH & plant BSR)

- Track slow moving inventory and inform about goods likely to expire to sales head for taking extra steps for liquidation Supply plan validation

- Validate production plans prepared by supply planners by assessing impact on FG availability/ inventory across the pipeline

- Provide inputs on fine-tuning the production plans based on prioritization among SKUs

Dispatch and logistics management:

- Review monthly and weekly dispatch plans shared by dispatch teams

- Track dispatches from CWH and suggest change in mode as required

New product launch:

- Provide market relevant inputs to the NPL project managers

- Coordinate new product launch plans for the cluster/ division

Metrics and measurement:

- Validate demand planning metrics (Forecast accuracy, Forecast Fidelity, Customer OTIF, FG Inventory adherence, FG Write-off, Air/Surface/Road shipments)

- Conduct root cause analysis for deviations

- Create & drive action plan for improvement

- Represent demand planning function for the respective cluster/ division in Pre-S&OP and S&OP

Essential Skills:

- Strong in Analytical abilities and problem solving skills

- Exposure to statistical forecasting techniques

- Effective business reporting and generating insights to improve quality of plans

- Decision making, ability to prioritize on a dynamic basis

- Negotiation skills / Conflict resolution

- Ability to manage multiple stakeholders

- Ability to understand and work around constraints

- Proficiency in Demand Planning tool is preferred

- Exposure to Pharmaceutical Industry is preferred

- Knowledge of demand forecasting tools (SAP APO DP module or i2 demand forecasting)