Assistant Manager - Contract Manufacturing Operations (CMO)

Panacea Biotec; New Delhi; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Panacea Biotec in Delhi is seeking an experienced supply chain operations professional to manage end-to-end interfaces with contract manufacturing partners. You will convert demand into work orders, track schedules, and ensure ERP and inventory accuracy while coordinating across internal teams.

The role acts as the primary operational contact for CM sites, requiring strong ERP, SAP and Excel proficiency, with emphasis on governance, compliance and timely issue resolution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Chemical / Industrial Engineering, Science or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification in Operations, Supply Chain or Business Management desirable but not mandatory.
• Typically 5-8 years of experience in contract manufacturing, external supply or supply-chain execution.
• Experience in nutrition, food, medical-device or comparable FMCG environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating ERP transactions, stock reconciliation and documentation controls.

Responsibilities

• Translate approved demand into work orders, procurement and ERP entries within defined timelines.
• Obtain and track manufacturing schedules, material readiness and dispatch commitments for CM sites.
• Monitor plan adherence, identify delays and coordinate recovery with planning, QA and manufacturers.
• Maintain an order tracker with open quantities, dates and next actions.
• Coordinate with Legal, Procurement, Finance and QA for manufacturing agreements and renewal terms.
• Maintain contract registers with rates, revisions, obligations and approvals.
• Ensure transactions reflect approved terms and delegated authority.
• Support invoice/discrepancy resolution by reconciling records and routing approvals.

Skills

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Structured problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Chemical / Industrial Engineering, Science

Postgraduate qualification in Operations, Supply Chain or Business Management desirable

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Role purpose

• To manage the end-to-end operational interface with approved contract manufacturing partners, ensuring that production plans are converted into timely work orders, manufacturing and dispatch commitments are tracked, ERP and inventory records remain accurate, contractual and compliance actions are followed through, and new-product projects progress to agreed milestones.
• The role acts as the single operational point of coordination across contract manufacturers and internal teams, while quality release, legal approval, commercial approval and payment authorisation remain with the respective authorised functions.

Key responsibilities

1. Production planning and order execution

• Translate approved demand and supply plans into work orders, purchase-related transactions, transfer orders and other required ERP entries within defined timelines.
• Obtain and track manufacturing schedules, material readiness, batch completion, release readiness and dispatch commitments for each contract manufacturing site.
• Monitor plan adherence and on-time, in-full supply; identify likely delays early and coordinate recovery actions with Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, QA and the manufacturer.
• Maintain a current order tracker covering open quantities, scheduled dates, constraints, ownership and next actions.

2. Contract manufacturer governance

• Serve as the day-to-day operational point of contact for assigned contract manufacturing partners.
• Conduct structured performance reviews covering service, schedule adherence, documentation, inventory, quality-action closure, responsiveness and cost/service concerns.
• Maintain an issue and escalation log, assign owners and due dates, and elevate material supply, compliance, capacity, service or commercial risks before business continuity is affected.
• Support periodic assessment of site capability, capacity, responsiveness and operational risk, and recommend corrective action or alternate-site evaluation where required.

3. Contract and commercial administration

• Coordinate with Legal, Procurement, Finance, QA and business owners to support drafting, execution, amendment and renewal of manufacturing agreements, quality agreements and related schedules.
• Maintain a contract register covering validity, approved products, rates and authorised revisions, responsibilities, service levels, insurance/licence requirements, renewal dates and open obligations.
• Ensure that operational transactions and communications reflect only approved commercial terms and the applicable delegation-of-authority matrix.
• Support resolution of invoice, service and cost discrepancies by compiling facts, reconciling records and routing approvals to the authorised owner.

4. Inventory and financial controls

• Coordinate stock reporting for company-owned raw materials, packaging materials, work-in-process, finished goods, recoverable scrap and other inventory held at contract manufacturing sites.
• Complete monthly reconciliation of ERP stock against manufacturer statements and physical stock records; investigate differences and drive time-bound closure with the relevant functions.
• Track ageing, slow-moving, blocked, damaged and near-expiry stock, and elevate provisions or disposition decisions to the authorised teams.
• Submit complete quarterly stock confirmations and supporting reconciliations to Finance, and respond to audit or accounting queries within agreed timelines.

5. New product development and site onboarding

• Arrange approved market and benchmark samples and compile factual product-attribute information to support cross-functional product evaluation.
• Identify and preliminarily screen potential manufacturing sites against approved technical, regulatory, quality, capacity, commercial and service criteria; coordinate formal assessment by the relevant owners.
• Coordinate RFQ inputs, sample and trial requirements, artwork/material readiness, pilot or exhibit batches, documentation and scale-up milestones for assigned NPD projects.
• Maintain the NPD-to-commercialisation tracker and elevate scope, timeline, capability or compliance risks promptly.

6. Quality, regulatory and documentation coordination

• Confirm that operational activity is routed only through approved sites and products with current agreements, licences and quality approvals, as applicable.
• Coordinate documentation and follow-up for deviations, change controls, complaints, investigations and CAPA actions; technical assessment and closure approval remain with QA and other authorised functions.
• Maintain complete, current and audit-ready records for agreements, work orders, stock statements, reconciliations, approvals, minutes, performance reviews and key correspondence.
• Support internal, statutory and partner audits by retrieving records, coordinating responses and tracking agreed actions to closure.

7. Management information and continuous improvement

• Issue a defined weekly operational tracker and monthly CMO performance dashboard with exceptions, risks, root causes, owners and due dates.
• Analyse recurring delays, inventory variances, transaction errors and service issues, and lead cross-functional corrective actions within the role's authority.
• Standardise operating trackers, review rhythms, documentation controls and ERP discipline across assigned contract manufacturing sites.

Decision rights and role boundaries

• Owns operational coordination, trackers, ERP transaction completeness, routine follow-up, issue logging and timely escalation for assigned contract manufacturing sites.
• May recommend recovery actions, supplier performance interventions, alternate-site evaluation and process improvements based on evidence.
• Does not independently approve a manufacturer, execute or amend a contract, approve a price or payment, release a batch, close a quality investigation, dispose inventory or override an approved demand/supply plan unless specifically authorised under the delegation-of-authority matrix.

Key working relationships

• Internal: Supply Planning, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, Legal, R&D / NPD, Packaging Development, Warehousing and relevant Business teams.
• External: Approved and prospective contract manufacturers, testing partners and other authorised service providers.

Candidate profile

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Chemical / Industrial Engineering, Science or another manufacturing-relevant discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification in Operations, Supply Chain or Business Management is desirable but not mandatory.

Experience

• Typically 5-8 years of relevant experience in contract manufacturing, external supply, plant coordination, production planning, procurement operations or supply-chain execution.
• Experience in nutrition, food, medical-device or comparable FMCG environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing ERP transactions, stock reconciliation, vendor follow-up, documentation controls and cross-functional issue closure.

Knowledge and technical skills

• Working knowledge of manufacturing planning, material and inventory flows, work-order processing, GRN / goods movement and reconciliation controls.
• Understanding of GMP and quality-system fundamentals and of applicable regulatory requirements such as FSSAI / FDA, depending on the assigned portfolio.
• Strong proficiency in ERP systems (SAP or equivalent), Microsoft Excel and structured management reporting.
• Ability to interpret commercial terms, service levels, specifications and operational documentation without exceeding authorised decision rights.

Behavioural competencies

• High ownership, attention to detail and follow-through.
• Structured problem-solving and comfort working with data.
• Firm but constructive vendor management and escalation judgement.
• Clear written and verbal communication with senior, technical and external stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritise multiple products, sites and deadlines in a regulated environment.
• Integrity in documentation, approvals and inventory / financial controls