Head of Supply Chain

# Head of Supply Chain Location - Mumbai ## Job Summary The **Head of Supply Chain** is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing and optimizing the entire supply chain function of a rapidly growing consumer food brand in India. The role involves managing demand forecasting, inventory strategy, procurement, logistics, and distribution across multiple channels including D2C, quick commerce, and e-commerce platforms. The incumbent will build a resilient, cost-efficient supply chain capable of supporting hypergrowth, ensuring seamless operations from demand planning to last-mile delivery, and contributing to the company's overall growth and customer satisfaction. ## Responsibilities - **Forecasting & Demand Planning** - Lead statistical and commercial demand forecasting across all SKUs, channels, and geographies. - Develop and refine demand planning models integrating sell-through data, marketing calendars, seasonality, and platform trends. - Drive Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) cadence with commercial and category teams. - Create scenario-based planning for new product launches, festive peaks, and platform-specific promotions. - **Supply & Production Planning** - Translate demand forecasts into procurement and manufacturing schedules aligned with supplier lead times and capacity. - Manage procurement of raw materials and packaging in coordination with R&D and sourcing teams. - Establish buffer stock norms and replenishment triggers to prevent stockouts. - Optimize batch planning and waste minimization through collaboration with co-manufacturers and in-house production. - **Inventory Management** - Oversee inventory health across factories, 3PL warehouses, dark stores, and platform fulfillment centers. - Set and govern inventory norms for various channels including e-commerce, modern trade, and general trade. - Reduce dead stock, aging inventory, and write-offs through proactive monitoring and clearance protocols. - Build real-time inventory visibility dashboards and manage platform-level inventory allocations. - **Logistics & Distribution** - Design and manage the logistics network for primary (factory to warehouse) and secondary (warehouse to customer) distribution. - Manage 3PL partnerships, including SLA governance, cost benchmarking, and performance improvement. - Optimize freight costs via lane consolidation, mode mix, and carrier negotiations. - Ensure compliance with cold chain and temperature-controlled logistics where applicable. - Drive OTIF (On-Time In-Full) metrics and resolve bottlenecks affecting service levels. - **E-Commerce & Quick Commerce Operations** - Lead supply chain strategy for quick commerce platforms (Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart) from replenishment to dark store allocation. - Manage operational KPIs for seller accounts on platforms like Flipkart and Amazon. - Collaborate with account managers to align supply with promotional calendars. - Resolve operational escalations related to stock availability, returns, and claims. - **Team & Systems** - Build and mentor a high-performing supply chain team across planning, logistics, and operations. - Evaluate and implement supply chain tools and ERP systems such as WMS, TMS, demand planning software. - Define and monitor KPIs including forecast accuracy, fill rate, OTIF, inventory turns, and freight costs. - Present monthly supply chain performance, risks, and opportunities to the leadership team. ## Qualifications - MBA / PGDM from a Tier 1 institution (IIM A/B/C/L/K/M, IIT, XLRI, ISB, FMS, or equivalent). - Minimum **10 years** of progressive supply chain experience. - At least **3 years** in a leadership role managing large teams and complex supply chains. - Prior experience in high-growth consumer food, FMCG, or D2C brands. - Hands-on experience managing supply chain for quick commerce platforms (Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart) and e-commerce (Flipkart, Amazon). - Strong command of demand forecasting methodologies and S&OP processes. - Deep understanding of inventory optimization techniques (safety stock, reorder points, EOQ, ABC/XYZ classification). - Proficiency in supply chain management tools such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Unicommerce, Increff, or equivalent. - Data-driven mindset with proficiency in Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau for operational analysis. - Knowledge of platform operations: Seller Central (Amazon), Flipkart Seller Hub, Zepto/Blinkit supplier portals. - Understanding of food safety, shelf-life management, and FSSAI compliance in supply chain context. ## Preferred Skills - Entrepreneurial energy with the ability to operate in ambiguity and build processes from scratch. - Strong cross-functional stakeholder management skills, working effectively with sales, marketing, finance, and operations teams. - Analytical rigor combined with executional hustle. - Excellent communication and presentation skills suitable for CXO-level reporting. - Bias towards process-building and scalable systems thinking. ## Experience - **Minimum 10 years** of relevant supply chain experience. - Proven track record in managing supply chain operations within high-growth environments, especially in consumer food, FMCG, or D2C sectors. - Experience with quick commerce and e-commerce logistics is mandatory