Lead, Supply Chain & Operations

Position responsibilities

Supply Planning & Inventory Management

• Oversee and approve safety stock (SS) algorithms, outputs, and updates.
• Review outliers and drivers behind SS changes; guide corrective actions.
• Define and approve supply network structures and planning horizons.
• Review and validate supply planning master data (lead times, MOQ, production calendars, constraints).
• Oversee release of approved demand forecasts from Demand Planning to Supply Planning.
• Review and validate critical RM/PM constraints and mitigation strategies.
• Approve final supply plan ensuring feasibility and alignment with business priorities.
• Review and finalize production capacity plans, identifying risks and alternatives.
• Monitor adherence to planning parameters and drive continuous planning discipline.

Logistics, Transportation & Carrier Management

• Oversee carrier selection decisions aligned with service, cost, and performance goals.
• Review and approve shipment optimization proposals and transportation mode decisions.
• Approve expedite shipments and exceptions to standard logistics flows.
• Oversee shipment planning adjustments and ensure alignment with supply plans.
• Review supplier/customer time-slot bookings and ensure scheduling efficiency.
• Lead coordination with carriers to ensure availability, on-time dispatch, and delivery commitments.
• Monitor transportation milestones and ensure proactive issue resolution.
• Review and validate carrier invoices; oversee approvals for carrier payments.
• Ensure compliance with logistics KPIs, transit time tracking, and operations reporting.

S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) Governance

• Review alignment of corporate, demand, supply, and operational strategies across functions.
• Review sales forecast inputs and ensure completeness prior to demand review cycles.
• Lead and oversee demand review meetings, validating key inputs and assumptions.
• Review system-generated safety stock recommendations and approve exception handling.
• Review supply planning parameter changes and ensure they align with global standards.
• Monitor and review potential supply or capacity constraints, preparing mitigation plans.
• Review dashboards, KPIs, and AOP/LE (Latest Estimate) alignment for S&OP governance.
• Lead Pre-S&OP meetings, ensuring alignment between constrained demand plan and consensus demand plan.
• Provide insights and final recommendations for Executive S&OP discussion.

Master Data, Systems & Reporting

• Review and approve updates to supply chain master data (items, BOMs, suppliers, lead times, capacities).
• Ensure integrity of supply, forecast, and inventory data uploaded into planning systems (SAP, APO, IBP, etc.).
• Oversee development and refinement of dashboards, operational reports, and planning analytics.
• Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of reports used across planning and logistics operations.

Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Demand Planning, Procurement, Logistics, Production, Quality, and Sales to resolve planning issues.
• Lead escalations related to supply constraints, transportation delays, or data discrepancies.
• Communicate planning outcomes, risks, and improvement opportunities to leadership and stakeholders.
• Represent Supply Chain & Operations in internal forums and cross-functional committees.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Champion process improvements across planning, transportation, and S&OP cycles.
• Drive standardisation of supply chain policies, systems, and workflows.
• Lead root-cause analysis for recurrent issues (forecast bias, stock-outs, delays, capacity gaps).
• Implement digital supply chain tools and automation opportunities.
• Enhance team capability through training, knowledge sharing, and process documentation.

People Leadership & Team Development

• Mentor, coach, and grow the capability of supply chain analysts and specialists.
• Set clear goals, monitor performance, and drive continuous skill enhancement.
• Address underperformance with structured improvement plans.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and problem-solving.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and retention of high-performing supply chain talent.

Performance measures

• Supply Plan Accuracy: Quality and feasibility of supply plans, capacity alignment, and constraint handling.
• Inventory Performance: Optimal safety stock levels, stock availability, and reduction in excess/obsolete inventory.
• Logistics Efficiency: On-time delivery, carrier performance, cost optimisation, and minimal exceptions.
• S&OP Maturity: Quality of inputs, meeting effectiveness, and alignment across demand, supply, and finance.
• Data Quality & Compliance: Integrity of master data, adherence to planning standards, and audit readiness.
• Stakeholder Satisfaction: Positive feedback from cross-functional teams and leadership stakeholders.
• Team Capability: Improved planning accuracy, analytical skills, and independent decision-making.

Required skills, qualifications, and experience

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, Engineering, Business, or similar field.
• APICS/CPIM, CSCP, Lean Six Sigma, or similar certifications preferred.

Experience

• 710+ years experience in Supply Planning, Demand Planning, Inventory Management, Logistics, or S&OP.
• Minimum 3+ years in a team lead or supervisory role.
• Experience working in a shared services, GCC, manufacturing, or global supply chain environment preferred.
• Hands-on experience with planning systems (SAP, APO/IBP, O9, Kinaxis, Oracle, etc.).

Technical / Functional Skills

• Strong understanding of supply planning, capacity planning, inventory optimisation, and safety stock modelling.
• Deep knowledge of transportation planning, shipment execution, and carrier management.
• Proficiency in advanced Excel, analytics tools, and planning/scheduling systems.
• Strong understanding of S&OP, demand/supply balancing, and cross-functional planning.
• Ability to analyse large datasets, identify trends, and provide actionable insights.

Leadership & Behavioural Skills

• Strong decision-maker with ability to manage complexity and multiple priorities.
• Effective communicator capable of influencing senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative and proactive in cross-functional environments.
• High attention to detail with strong problem-solving skills.
• Resilient, adaptable, and calm under pressure.
• Demonstrates discipline, integrity, and accountability.