Senior Cold Chain Manager - Cabinet Procurement - FMCG/Mfg

Job description :

The candidate will be responsible for all elements of Cabinet Procurement, Cabinet Operations Management, IT support to business, Cold Chain and Asset Assurance pan India.

The key tasks in this position are :

- Cabinet Procurement

- Cabinet Operations Management

- IT support and developments for business

- Cold Chain Management

- Asset Assurance

Cabinet Procurement :

This is a techno commercial role and requires operational understanding of finance, commercial and import/export guidelines. Retail freezers are imported, thorough knowledge of climate class and tropicalized adaptation is extremely critical for successful procurement of freezers. Proper communication with the global procurement team, OCF and cabinet suppliers will determine success in network compliance for procurement.

- Initiate Capex process and load the capex request in Marlin for stakeholder approval. Create WBS element.

- Conduct comprehensive field test on the shortlisted cabinets and suggest changes, improvement and modifications prior to launch in India.

- Select and recommend cabinets from the cabinet green basket suitable for Indian conditions post trials.

- Release DO to global supplier at GBC approved rates.

- Construct and release despatch plan and port allotment plan

- Finalize CHA, OCF before consignment is despatched. Arrange DEPB license for custom clearance and complete documentation formalities.

- Ensure timely clearance of consignments from port to avoid any demurrage costs

- Provide lane plan to inland freight team for transporter selection and rate approval

- Ensure asset availability for availability expansion

- Ensure payments are made to the vendors as per agreed credit periods

- Ensure sales tax formalities are completed for asset procurement

- Ensure capitalization of assets in FAS after the assets have arrived at Depot

- Ensure capex spend control against the approved capex

- As mobiling is not available globally, design and development of mobiling systems and freezers is an important aspect for mobiling channel and is to be done within the country.

- In the case of new development get an NDA signed by the design and manufacturing vendor

- Align procurement strategy to UL cabinet procurement

Cabinet Operations Management :

An important aspect of this role, in order to, achieve the below mentioned objectives is to have hands on experience in refrigeration. The person should be able to do braising, flushing, system vacuum, gas charging etc. with one's own hands, together with an in-depth understanding of systems and components like compressors, condensing units, refrigerants, different circuits (CSIR, CSR, and PSC etc.) and commercial refrigeration systems. India does not have hydrocarbon charged freezer manufacturers and hence skill availability is limited. Therefore the person leading this role needs to be thorough in domain knowledge and experience.

- Ensure smooth functioning in cabinet operations for repairs and maintenance, depot management, spares management and transportation.

- Ensure the department achieves service KPI

- Budget Planning, allocation and control of budget. R&M cost reduction through improved systems and processes

- Ensure timely payments and obtain PNCC

- Identify component vendors for passive spares and ensure adequate sourcing of imported components.

- Identify local suppliers/importers for specialized spares like R290, R600 etc. Conduct trials and obtain NPI approval. Suggest alternate compatible components for cost reduction, efficiency improvement etc.

- Provide solutions to cabinet related technical problems. Demonstrate to team and define scope of implementation

- Repairs and maintenance service franchisee finalization and recruitment

- Conduct trials for solutions and identify vendors to do the work. (E.g. Solution for vending freezer internal tank leakage, vending cabinet structural deterioration, polymer coating and basket development, Eutectic pads etc.)

- Ensure timely completion of RMO in vending.

- Support global trials

- Ensure smooth functioning of the call center operation and maintain high level of customer service.

- Continue implementation of hydrocarbon technology in India

- Depot finalization for asset storage and asset movements. Obtain legal and NPI approvals

- Finalize depot stock audit plans with finance team

- Ensure zero difference between system and physical asset stock

- Deliver placement plan OTIF

- Ensure complete documentation control, document submission to branch and document warehousing

- Ensure high AAI (Asset Availability Index) through proper refurbishment of market withdrawn assets at depot

- Manpower planning for repairs and maintenance operation

- Encourage skill development through external training and industry interaction for the core team. Create and organize training programs.

- Create training program for technicians through train the trainer approach

- Evaluate drawings and specifications for freezers, components etc. before signing off approval.

- Ensure safe disposal of written off assets, through proper procedures and complete disposal documentation. Asset disposal needs to be revenue and not expense. This is sensitive task.

- Implement safety guidelines in operation

- Present to management solutions, trends and forward plans for the ICD technical/Refrigeration department.

IT Support and development for Business :

A good understanding of different platforms and systems would be required for doing IT related work. Though this is not a core function but it is the fulcrum for long term software and hardware technology implementation for process improvement. Also to work with the current software and applications it is important to have functional knowledge.

- Will be the system owner for AssetICE. Ensure system integrity and liaison with the IT team for improvements, developments, issue resolution and stabilization.

- Prepare a road map to input into IPM funnel for system developments together with customer marketing team

- Lead non sales mobility developments with internal IT team and external IT vendors.

- Create technological tools (apps) for cold chain, quality, asset management etc. to make processes simple and robust.

- Ensure completion of mobility roll out for preventive maintenance and breakdown maintenance and similar tools.

- Ensure outlet creation in AssetICE

- Develop SCORM type/similar based learning modules for stakeholders

- Liaise with IT for system automation of different packages, together with customer marketing and finance.

- Recommend future ready solutions to business

Cold Chain Management & Quality :

ICD being a thermal business it is important to maintain cold chain integrity. This role requires core knowledge of commercial and industrial refrigeration. Design expertise is a key strength to be able to provide solutions for cold chain improvement. This role requires lots of passion in this field and the person should be able to rub this off to the team also.

- Lead cold chain agenda to deliver quality

- Deliver Cold Chain TCI (Temperature Compliance Index)

- Develop Cold Chain solutions for distribution and storage of ice creams.

- Ensure design stability of cold chain equipment

- Calculate heat load and recommend cost effective cold chain solutions

- Work with cold chain vendors and implement latest developments in cold chain into operations. Also devise retrofits.

- Identify vendors for commissioning of cold storages. Evaluate drawings, layout and specifications and suggest the best possible option to RS.

- Design and develop vendors to manufacture cold chain equipment

- Conduct long term comprehensive field trials in various possible environments

- Conduct tests in simulation chambers with the correct parameters, suggest and enforce test methods

- Conduct audits to determine the health of cold chain

- Develop and conduct training programs to train the team in cold chain

- Develop and implement cold chain communication for cold chain improvement

- Develop and lead cold chain monitoring solutions through latest technologies.

- Provide solutions for product and channel related demands to maintain cold chain integrity.

- Integrate scroll technology into tertiary cold chain equipment

- Evaluate different PCM/UT technologies before implementation in secondary cooling medium for cold chain equipment

- Should have hands on experience in industrial refrigeration to tackle issues and recommend corrective action

Asset Assurance :

The assets deployed in the market are the property of the company hence it is of paramount importance to have complete control of assets at POS and also have a system of positive assurance of the assets. The person in this role needs to ensure a robust mechanism of asset management and control.

- Data creation for manufacturing of bar codes.

- Procurement of bar codes.

- Ensure proper quality of bar codes.

- Ensure proper barcoding of assets at the depot

- Ensure progressive improvement in asset assurance by implementing better technology and hardware

- Resolution of app related issues in scanning

- Resolution of data mismatch to achieve scan pass compliance

- Conceptualization and design of asset assurance tools interlinked with quantum

- Resolve report conflicts between GoDB and RS Unify data

- Resolve capitalization date mismatch

- Backend system corrections in asset master

Key Competencies :

It is important that the person leading this department has strong leadership qualities. The team comprises of people who have been recruited from industry and have good domain knowledge and experience. Handling this team means that the person should be able to give them technology and operational solutions when they require it. The person should be a - ready reckoner- type of entity where the team would have confidence to ask for support or guidance and look up to him/her in times of crisis. Due to limited resource availability in this field, more often it is required to engage with external organizations and people, he should have good enough industry touch.

- Leading a specialized team

- Team Alignment

- Leadership Skills

- Communication Skills

- Analytical Abilities

- External Orientation