Head - Demand & Inventory Planning - FMCG/Consumer Brands

About the Role:

We are partnering with a fast-growing D2C / consumer brand to hire a Head of Demand & Inventory Planning - the owner of the end-to-end planning function that keeps the right product available at the right place, at the right time, without tying up working capital. This role sits at the intersection of sales, marketing, supply chain, and finance, and directly influences fill rates, inventory health, and margin.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the demand planning and forecasting process across all channels - D2C website, marketplaces, quick-commerce, and offline/retail.
• Build and run the S&OP cycle, aligning sales, marketing, finance, and supply chain on a single consensus forecast.
• Drive inventory planning and replenishment across warehouses and channels; optimise stock levels, safety stock, and reorder logic.
• Balance availability against working capital - minimise stockouts and overstock, and reduce ageing/dead inventory and write-offs.
• Plan for new launches, promotions, and seasonality; translate marketing calendars and campaigns into demand signals.
• Define and track planning KPIs - forecast accuracy, fill rate, inventory turns, DOH, and OTIF.
• Partner with procurement and vendors on lead times, MOQs, and production planning.
• Build planning tools, dashboards, and processes; progressively bring rigour and automation into the function.

Ideal Candidate:

• 8 - 14 years in demand planning, inventory planning, or supply chain, ideally with D2C, e-commerce, retail, or FMCG/consumer brands.
• Strong command of forecasting, S&OP, and inventory optimisation across multi-channel operations.
• Highly analytical - advanced Excel/Sheets, and comfort with planning tools, ERP, and BI dashboards.
• Track record of improving forecast accuracy and inventory health while protecting availability.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with evolving processes.

Leadership Expectations:

• Builds the planning function and team from the ground up.
• Drives cross-functional alignment across sales, marketing, finance, and supply chain.
• Brings discipline and data-backed decision-making to a fast-moving business.
• Balances commercial ambition with inventory and working-capital discipline.

Working Model:

• Full-time, on-site - Mumbai.