Job Description

Roles & Responsibilities

We are looking for an experienced Associate Manager – Planning to lead and manage material, production and inventory planning activities within a manufacturing environment.

The role will be responsible for ensuring the availability of materials, optimizing inventory levels, supporting production capacity planning, maintaining accurate SAP planning data, and providing data-driven insights to improve supply chain performance.

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in SAP PP/MM, material and production planning, inventory management, advanced Excel, data analysis and team management, preferably within the perfume, cosmetics, personal care or FMCG manufacturing industry.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Material & Production Planning

• Lead material and production planning activities based on sales, dispatch and production requirements.
• Review and validate sales and dispatch plans to ensure accurate and reliable planning inputs.
• Convert dispatch requirements into production and material requirements while maintaining optimum inventory levels.
• Develop and maintain short-, medium- and long-term filling and production plans based on business requirements.
• Monitor material availability and identify potential shortages at least 3 months in advance.
• Coordinate closely with Perfumery, Procurement, Production, NPD and other relevant departments to ensure material readiness.
• Align production plans with available capacity, manpower, production speed and shift requirements.
• Monitor production capacity utilization and identify potential bottlenecks or delivery constraints.
• Take ownership of material and planning issues and ensure timely corrective actions.
• Conduct feasibility assessments for non-forecasted and urgent product requirements based on material availability and production capacity.
• Apply lean manufacturing and continuous improvement practices to improve planning efficiency and reduce operational waste.
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2. Inventory Planning & Control

• Monitor Finished Goods (FG) and Raw & Packaging Materials (RMPM) inventory levels to support uninterrupted production.
• Maintain optimum inventory levels in line with demand, dispatch requirements and safety stock parameters.
• Monitor Months on Hand (MOH), safety stock and inventory coverage on a monthly basis.
• Identify excess, slow-moving, obsolete and dead stock and develop appropriate action plans.
• Identify inventory risks and develop contingency plans to minimize stock-outs and excess inventory.
• Work closely with Procurement, Production and Sales teams to maintain healthy inventory levels.
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3. Data Analysis & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate planning databases and validate operational data to ensure reliable planning and reporting.
• Develop and maintain reports covering inventory, material availability, filling plans, production and planning performance.
• Conduct regular material risk analysis and identify potential connectivity and supply issues.
• Analyze planning data and provide actionable insights to management.
• Monitor planning KPIs and identify gaps, trends and corrective actions.
• Develop feasibility and scenario analyses to support day-to-day planning decisions.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, automation and improved planning efficiency.
• Use statistical and analytical techniques to support demand, inventory and production planning decisions.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and management reports using Power BI, Tableau or similar BI tools.
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4. SAP PP/MM & Master Data

• Maintain and validate SAP master data related to planning, production and procurement.
• Ensure accurate configuration of planning parameters including MRP Type, MRP Area, Procurement Type, Procurement Key, Production Version, Planning Strategy and Subcontracting.
• Monitor SAP MRP results, planned orders, purchase requisitions and planning exception messages.
• Review and resolve SAP planning exception messages and take appropriate corrective action.
• Monitor SAP process orders and ensure timely follow-up based on planning priorities.
• Conduct pre-MRP checks to ensure all required planning parameters and master data are accurate.
• Monitor and maintain BOM accuracy and coordinate with NPD and relevant teams for required changes.
• Support the planning team with SAP data extraction, analysis and report development.
• Identify opportunities for automation and development of SAP-based planning reports and tools.
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5. Team Management

• Lead and supervise the material and production planning team.
• Allocate responsibilities and establish priorities and deadlines for planning activities.
• Monitor team performance against defined KRA/KPI.
• Provide guidance and support to planners in resolving operational and planning issues.
• Review planning team performance and provide regular performance updates to management.
• Promote a proactive, data-driven and continuous improvement culture within the planning team.

Desired Candidate Profile

1. 8+ years of relevant experience in Material Planning, Production Planning, Supply Chain Planning or Inventory Planning.
2. Experience in manufacturing industry is essential; experience in Perfume, Cosmetics, Personal Care, FMCG or similar industries is highly preferred.
3. Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Manufacturing or a related field. MBA in Operations/Supply Chain is preferred.
4. Strong hands-on experience in SAP PP & MM, particularly in planning and MRP-related functions.
5. Strong understanding of Material Requirements Planning (MRP), BOM, production planning, procurement and inventory management.
6. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas, data analysis and planning models.
7. Strong knowledge of advanced Excel functions such as FORECAST.ETS, FORECAST.ETS.SEASONALITY, XMATCH, PERMUTE, IF/AND/OR, ERROR.TYPE and other advanced analytical functions.
8. Experience with Power BI, Tableau or other business intelligence and reporting tools.
9. Strong mathematical, statistical and analytical skills with the ability to perform trend analysis, forecasting, regression and quantitative analysis.
10. Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple priorities.
11. Excellent cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills.
12. Previous experience in leading or supervising a planning team is preferred.
13. Candidates currently working as Senior Planner, Senior Executive – Planning, Assistant Manager – Planning, Supply Chain Planning Lead or similar roles are encouraged to apply.

Employment Type

• Full-time