Deputy Manager - Demand & Supply Chain Planner

About Alkem:

Alkem Laboratories Limited is an Indian multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai, that manufactures and sells pharmaceutical generics, formulations and nutraceuticals in India and globally over 50 countries. We have consistently been ranked amongst the top five pharmaceutical companies in India. Our portfolio includes illustrious brands like Clavam, Pan, Pan-D, and Taxim-O, which feature amongst the top 50 pharmaceutical brands in India.

Role Purpose:

To ensure seamless demand forecasting, supply planning, inventory optimization, and cross-functional coordination for international markets while maintaining high service levels, optimized inventory, and efficient execution of the S&OP process.

Key Responsibilities:

Demand Planning

• Lead the monthly demand planning and forecasting process for assigned markets/products.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Business teams to capture market intelligence, demand shifts, and business opportunities.
• Analyze sales trends, consumption patterns, seasonality, tender requirements, and market dynamics to generate accurate forecasts.
• Monitor forecast accuracy, identify forecast gaps, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Supply Planning

• Develop monthly production and supply plans aligned with business demand and inventory targets.
• Coordinate with manufacturing plants to ensure effective capacity utilization and timely execution of production plans.
• Review Requirement vs. Commitment gaps and implement mitigation plans to ensure uninterrupted supply.
• Monitor manufacturing, packing, quality release, and dispatch schedules to achieve customer service targets.
• Track Commitment vs. Actual performance and proactively highlight deviations and risks.

Material Planning & Inventory Management

• Ensure adequate availability of Raw Materials (RM), Packaging Materials (PM), APIs, and Finished Goods (FG) to meet business requirements.
• Execute Material Requirement Planning (MRP) and monitor procurement proposals.
• Manage safety stock levels, reorder points, replenishment planning, and inventory controls.
• Monitor and reduce near-expiry, slow-moving, excess, and obsolete inventory.
• Drive inventory optimization initiatives while maintaining desired service levels.

S&OP and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Support and actively participate in monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) reviews.
• Collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Regulatory Affairs, Packaging Development, and Logistics teams.
• Ensure supply readiness for artwork revisions, packaging transitions, regulatory approvals, and market-specific requirements.
• Act as the single point of contact for supply planning-related activities and issue resolution.

Product Launch & Change Management

• Support new product launches, product registrations, site transfers, technology transfers, and market expansion initiatives.
• Coordinate planning activities to ensure seamless implementation of product lifecycle changes and business projects.

Reporting & MIS

• Prepare periodic MIS reports, dashboards, and management reviews related to demand and supply planning.
• Highlight supply risks, inventory concerns, capacity bottlenecks, and recommended action plans.
• Generate insights to support decision-making during S&OP and business review meetings.

Experience:

• 6-8 years of experience in Demand Planning, Supply Planning, PPIC (Production Planning & Inventory Control), and Supply Chain Management, preferably within the Pharmaceutical industry.
• Exposure to managing supply chains for international markets, including demand forecasting, inventory planning, production coordination, and S&OP processes.
• Experience in cross-functional stakeholder management across Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory, and Commercial teams.

Educational Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Pharmacy, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• MBA/PGDM in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or equivalent preferred.
• Knowledge of SAP PP/MM modules is desirable.

Technical Competencies:

• SAP PP/MM Modules
• Demand Planning & Forecasting Tools
• Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
• Inventory Management & Optimization
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Power BI / Analytics Reporting
• S&OP Process Management
• Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP)