Job Title : Inventory Deployment Planner - IDP Team (6-Month Contract)

Location : Bangalore, India

Experience : 8+ years

Notice Period : 0-20 days

Contract Duration : 6 months

About the Role :

We are seeking a seasoned Inventory Deployment Planner to join the IDP (Inventory Deployment Planning) team. This role is responsible for proactive finished-goods inventory management and deployment across markets, ensuring service continuity while operating within defined inventory corridors.

- The role interfaces directly with affiliates, planning teams, and regional supply chain teams, translating demand signals and inventory risks into actionable mitigation plans.

- This position demands strong analytical capability, cross-functional collaboration, and ownership of end-to-end inventory decisions to reduce reactive escalations and enable forward-looking, data-driven planning.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Inventory Corridor Ownership & Risk Management :

- Manage finished-goods inventory corridors (safety stock, max stock) for assigned regions and products.

- Track safety stock attainment (target >85%) and proactively identify risks of stockouts or overstock.

- Assess inventory health across regional and central warehouses, recommending corridor deviations when necessary.

2. Affiliate Interface & Demand Signal Validation :

- Serve as the single point of contact for affiliates on inventory availability, outlook, and short-term risks.

- Validate, challenge, and translate affiliate demand signals into actionable supply decisions.

- Align proactively on delivery expectations to avoid escalations.

3. Proactive Market Replenishment & Late Stage Packing Planning :

- Convert validated demand into shipment and replenishment signals.

- Collaborate with logistics and distribution teams to maintain oversight of inbound/outbound shipments.

- Ensure deployment and packing plans adhere to inventory corridor targets and prioritization logic.

4. Case Management & Structured Escalation :

- Document and manage inventory-related cases using structured ticketing.

- Resolve issues at the lowest level; escalate only when predefined criteria are met.

- Prepare clear case documentation and recommendations for governance forums.

5. Cross-Functional Planning Collaboration :

- Work closely with MPS, DPS, Network, and E2E Brand Planners for alignment on priorities and execution feasibility.

- Propose solutions such as order swaps or prioritization scenarios.

- Flag execution deviations impacting inventory corridors or service levels.

6. Governance, KPI Monitoring & Continuous Improvement :

- Lead/support weekly regional inventory reviews, tracking KPIs and open cases.

- Monitor key metrics: safety stock attainment, corridor compliance, stockout incidents, escalation rates, and on-time fulfillment.

- Contribute to process documentation, dashboards, and IDP model capability build-up.

Required Qualifications & Experience :

- Master's/Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Production, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent from a recognized institute.

- 8-9+ years of relevant experience in supply chain planning, inventory management, or network planning roles.

- Experience working directly with commercial affiliates and global planning setups.

- Strong knowledge of end-to-end supply chain concepts (Plan-Make-Deliver).

- Hands-on experience with SAP ECC/R3 (mandatory), OMP (preferred), Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint (advanced).

Key Skills & Competencies :

- Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.

- Excellent stakeholder management across cultures and seniority levels.

- Ability to operate in ambiguity and exception-driven environments.

- Strong communication skills (written and oral in English).

- Ownership mindset, logical thinking, and high-quality execution under deadlines.

Additional Information :

- Position based in Bangalore, India with potential travel to commercial regions for training or complex case handling.

- Requires interaction with diverse teams, including affiliates, regional planners, logistics, analytics, and governance forums.

- Creativity and process innovation encouraged to improve inventory management and deployment strategies.