Planning Lead

FNP; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 5,000,000; Full time

Job summary

FNP is seeking a Lead - Planning to own demand, inventory and manpower planning for peak gifting cycles across flowers, cakes and perishable categories. The role requires cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Category, Supply Chain and HR to translate forecasts into actionable plans.

You will lead three managers, drive S&OP cadence, and build data-driven planning dashboards using Excel/Power BI to optimize service levels and working capital during high-volume periods.

Qualifications

• MBA/PGDM or B.Tech/B.E. with relevant experience in planning
• 10–14 years in Demand Planning/Inventory/Operations Planning in e‑commerce or perishables
• Experience managing managers or multi‑function planning teams
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills with forecasting methods

Responsibilities

• Own demand planning for short-term and long-term forecasts across categories and cities/hubs
• Set event/occasion forecasting strategy and stress test assumptions
• Lead integrated S&OP with Sales, Category, and Marketing
• Own forecast accuracy KPI and chair planning reviews
• Oversee inventory planning including safety stock and shelf-life norms
• Manage operations manpower planning and workforce models
• Drive dashboards/MIS for real-time visibility
• Mentor and manage three planning managers

Skills

Forecasting techniques

Analytical skills

Excel/Google Sheets

Power BI/Tableau

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Conflict resolution

Communication skills

Education

MBA / PGDM (Operations, Supply Chain, Analytics)

B.Tech/B.E. in relevant field

CPIM/CSCP certification (plus)

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

SAP APO

Blue Yonder

o9

Job description

FNP operates in a high-velocity, occasion-driven gifting business where demand can spike 5-10x around key calendar events (Valentine's Day, Rakhi, Diwali, Mother's Day, Anniversaries) and where a large share of the catalog - flowers, cakes, plants - is perishable with a shelf life measured in hours or days. This makes planning the backbone of the business: get it wrong, and the company either loses sales during peak occasions or writes off perishable stock; get it right, and it protects both customer experience and margins.

We are looking for a Lead - Planning who will own the demand plan, inventory plan, and operations manpower plan as one integrated system rather than three disconnected charts. The role leads three functions (Demand Planning, Inventory Planning, and Operations Manpower Planning) directly, and is accountable for the quality, alignment, and business impact of what each of them produces. This is a highly cross-functional role sitting at the intersection of Sales, Category, Supply Chain, Hub Operations, and HR/Workforce teams, and is ideal for someone who enjoys working with data, can operate a level above the day-to-day execution, and can translate a demand forecast all the way down.

Key Responsibilities

1. Demand Planning

• Direct and review the short-term (weekly/daily) and long-term (monthly/seasonal) demand forecasts built by the Demand Planning Manager across categories (flowers, cakes, plants, personalized gifts, combos) and cities/hubs; sign off before they feed downstream planning.
• Set the strategy for event/occasion-based forecasting (Valentine's Day, Rakhi, Diwali, Mother's Day, Friendship Day, Anniversaries, Corporate Gifting cycles) and stress-test the Manager's assumptions against historical trends, growth targets, and market intelligence.
• Represent Planning in discussions with Sales, Category, and Marketing teams on promotions, new product launches, and campaign spends, ensuring these are correctly reflected in the forecast.
• Own forecast accuracy (MAPE/Bias) as a KPI for the Demand Planning Manager; chair the monthly/weekly forecast review (S&OP) and drive accountability on deviations.
• Guide demand segmentation by city, hub, delivery slot, and channel (app/web/B2B) to ensure it's granular enough for inventory and manpower planning downstream.
• Ensure early-warning triggers for demand risk (weather impact on flower availability, competitor activity, macro trends) are built and escalated in time.

2. Inventory Planning

• Review and approve the procurement and inventory plans the Inventory Planning Manager builds off the demand plan, for both perishable (flowers, cakes) and non-perishable (vases, add-on gifts, packaging) categories.
• Set policy for safety stock, reorder points, and shelf-life-based replenishment norms, given the perishability constraints unique to floriculture and bakery items, and hold the Manager accountable to it.
• Own inventory health metrics - fill rate, wastage/spoilage %, aging stock, stock-out %, and inventory turns - as KRAs for the Manager, and step in on corrective action plans when metrics slip.
• Escalate and resolve issues with Sourcing/Procurement and Vendor Management on supplier lead times and MOQs where the Manager needs senior-level support, especially ahead of peak occasions.
• Sign off on hub-wise and dark-store-wise stock allocation plans to balance delivery reliability against working capital.
• Set direction for pre-season and post-season inventory strategy - build-up ahead of peak days and liquidation/markdown planning for residual inventory - and hold the Manager to the plan.

3. Operations Manpower Planning

• Review and approve the operations workforce plan the Manager builds off the demand and inventory plan — across florists/decorators, packers, riders/delivery partners, and warehouse staff.
• Approve shift-wise and day-wise manpower requirement models, with particular scrutiny on surge plans for peak occasions where manpower needs can multiply overnight.
• Provide senior-level backing to the Manager's coordination with HR, Hub Operations, and Third-Party Logistics/Gig partners on hiring, temporary staffing, and gig-workforce deployment ahead of peak seasons.
• Own productivity metrics (orders processed per FTE, cost per order/delivery, utilization %) as a KRA for the Manager, and sponsor efficiency initiatives that need cross-functional or budget approval.
• Sign off on the peak season manpower playbook - sourcing timelines, training plans, and contingency staffing (backup riders/packers) - before each major occasion.
• Hold the Manager accountable for manpower cost against the operations budget and cost-per-order targets.

4. Integrated Planning & Stakeholder Management

• Run an integrated S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) process that connects demand, inventory, and manpower plans into a single peak-season readiness plan.
• Present weekly/monthly planning reviews to leadership with clear visibility on forecast accuracy, inventory health, fill rates, and manpower readiness.
• Ensure planning dashboards/MIS (Excel/Power BI/internal tools) maintained by the three Managers give real-time visibility during high-demand periods.
• Act as the single point of accountability for "will we be ready for [occasion]?" across product, stock, and people.

5. People Management

• Lead, mentor, and performance-manage the Demand Planning Manager, Inventory Planning Manager, and Operations Manpower Planning Manager, setting clear KRAs and reviewing them regularly.
• Resolve trade-offs between the three functions when priorities conflict — e.g., Inventory pushing to cut safety stock for working capital vs. Demand wanting a buffer for an upcoming occasion, or Manpower flagging a staffing constraint that the demand plan hasn't accounted for.
• Build bench strength and succession within the planning team; identify capability gaps and drive relevant training (forecasting tools, S&OP practices, data literacy).
• Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making and ownership across the three teams, and represent the collective planning function to senior leadership as one voice.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: MBA / PGDM (Operations, Supply Chain, Analytics) or B.Tech/B.E. with relevant experience; certifications in Supply Chain Planning (CPIM/CSCP) are a plus.
• Experience: 10-14 years in Demand Planning, Inventory/Supply Chain Planning, or Operations Planning, preferably in e-commerce, quick-commerce, FMCG, retail, or perishables businesses with high demand seasonality, with at least 3-4 years managing managers or leading a multi-function planning team.
• Demonstrated experience managing peak-season/event-driven demand spikes is highly preferred.
• Prior exposure to workforce/manpower planning in an operations-heavy (hub/warehouse/last-mile) setup is a strong plus.
• Proven track record of leading and developing managers/team leads, not just individual contributors — this role's success depends on getting the best out of three functional heads, not doing their jobs for them.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills — comfortable with forecasting techniques, statistical models, and large datasets.
• Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets (advanced) and working knowledge of Power BI/Tableau; exposure to planning tools (SAP APO, Blue Yonder, o9, or similar) is a plus.
• Ability to think in systems — connecting demand, inventory, and people as one plan rather than three silos.
• Strong people leadership — able to manage through managers, delegate effectively, and coach rather than take over when a Manager struggles.
• Sound conflict resolution and prioritization skills to adjudicate between the three functions when their goals pull in different directions.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills to align Sales, Category, Procurement, Hub Operations, and HR around a single plan.
• Comfortable operating with high ambiguity and tight timelines, especially in the run-up to peak gifting occasions.
• Strong communication skills — ability to present complex planning data simply to leadership.
• A bias for action and ownership, with the resilience to manage the intensity of a 24-48 hour peak-occasion operating window multiple times a year.