Category Manager - Packaging (Supply & Demand Planning), Partnerships, Scommerce

Category Strategy & Commercial Leadership

• Own and drive the end-to-end packaging consumables category strategy.
• Lead budgeting, cost forecasting, and financial performance management of the category.
• Conduct market benchmarking and industry analysis to ensure suppliers are best-in-class in pricing, service and quality.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives, exploratory sourcing, and competitive bidding activities.
• Negotiate commercial terms, service levels, and long-term agreements to optimize total cost of ownership.

Demand & Supply Planning Ownership

• Lead demand and supply planning to ensure alignment with operational volume projections.
• Maintain optimal inventory levels across all warehouses while minimizing working capital exposure.
• Establish planning governance, controls, and forecasting accuracy standards.
• Implement proactive risk mitigation strategies to prevent stockouts and excess inventory.

Supplier Performance & Governance

• Lead structured business reviews and supplier performance management (KPIs, SLAs, scorecards).
• Ensure compliance with material specifications and packaging standards.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives with suppliers to enhance reliability and cost efficiency.
• Partner with Legal on contract governance and risk management.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Operational Excellence on packaging standards and material guidelines.
• Partner with FP&A on annual planning and budget tracking.
• Align with Supply & Demand Planning teams on order projections and volume trends.
• Coordinate with Local Procurement on sourcing execution and vendor onboarding.
• Work closely with warehouse teams on consumption declarations, stock accuracy, and replenishment discipline.

Team & Operational Leadership

• Lead two (2) Material Planners managing stock across all warehouses.
• Oversee and provide governance to Warehouse Custodians to ensure accurate inventory control, consumption reporting, and stock discipline at site level.
• Establish performance metrics, accountability frameworks, and continuous improvement practices for both planners and custodians.

Business Continuity & Escalation Management

• Lead emergency response during out-of-stock situations caused by vendor issues or demand volatility.
• Develop contingency sourcing and buffer strategies to ensure operational continuity.
• Act as escalation point for critical supply risks affecting warehouse operations.

Success Measures

• Zero or minimal stockout incidents across all warehouses.
• Optimized inventory turns and working capital efficiency.
• Competitive supplier cost positioning vs. market benchmarks.
• Strong supplier performance and contract compliance.
• High planning accuracy and disciplined warehouse stock management.
• Effective team leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Logistics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in supply chain, procurement, or category management, preferably in fast-moving consumer goods, e-commerce, logistics, or multi-warehouse operations.
• Proven track record in category management, supplier performance management, and end-to-end supply planning.
• Experience managing multi-site inventory and material requirement planning teams.
• Strong exposure to budget ownership, cost management, and commercial negotiations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects involving procurement, operations, finance, and legal teams.
• Experience in emergency stock management and business continuity planning is highly desirable
• Commercial acumen: supplier sourcing, negotiation, cost benchmarking, and market analysis.
• Analytical & planning skills: demand forecasting, inventory optimization, supply risk mitigation, and scenario modeling.
• Operational excellence: warehouse stock control, material planning, and emergency response management.
• Leadership & people management: ability to lead planners and warehouse custodians, set KPIs, and drive performance.
• Cross-functional collaboration: works effectively with finance, legal, operational excellence, procurement, and warehouse teams.
• Communication skills: clear, concise, and persuasive in reporting to senior management and suppliers.
• Technical proficiency: experience with ERP, inventory management systems, and Excel/BI tools for analysis and reporting.
• Problem-solving: proactive, data-driven, and able to handle high-pressure situations without compromising quality or timelines.
• Continuous improvement mindset: identifies opportunities to enhance supply reliability, cost efficiency, and supplier performance.