Planning Manager

The Manager – Planning will be responsible for driving end-to-end planning excellence across inventory, demand, supply, and production functions. The role demands a data-driven professional who can translate forecast insights into actionable plans, optimize stock levels, and ensure seamless product availability across channels — supporting the organization's growth objectives in a dynamic eyewear market.

Responsibilities:

1. Inventory Planning

• Develop and maintain optimal inventory levels across all SKUs — frames, lenses, accessories, and spare parts.
• Define and monitor inventory norms including safety stock, reorder points, and maximum stock levels.
• Conduct regular inventory health assessments and initiate corrective actions for slow-moving or ageing stock.

2. Demand Planning

• Develop short, medium, and long-term demand forecasts using statistical models and market intelligence.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and merchandising teams to incorporate promotional plans, new launches, and seasonal trends into forecasts.
• Conduct SKU-level demand analysis to identify growth opportunities and rationalize underperforming products.
• Facilitate monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) reviews with cross-functional stakeholders.

3. Supply Planning

• Translate demand plans into supply requirements and coordinate with procurement and vendor teams to ensure timely material availability.
• Manage supplier lead times, capacity constraints, and order schedules to maintain uninterrupted supply flow.
• Monitor and resolve supply gaps, escalating critical shortfalls to leadership with mitigation plans.
• Evaluate alternate sourcing options and maintain vendor performance scorecards.
• Drive supply chain risk assessments and build contingency plans for critical material categories.

4. Production Planning

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) aligned with demand forecasts and capacity availability.
• Coordinate with manufacturing teams to schedule production runs.
• Monitor production adherence to schedule and initiate corrective actions to address deviations.

5. Inventory Replenishment

• Design and execute replenishment strategies for retail outlets, warehouses, and e-commerce fulfilment centres.
• Monitor replenishment triggers and automate order generation through ERP/planning tools wherever feasible.
• Optimize replenishment frequency and order quantities to minimize carrying costs while maintaining service levels.
• Track On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) metrics and take proactive actions to prevent stockouts or overstocking.
• Collaborate with logistics and warehouse teams to ensure smooth inbound and outbound replenishment flows.