Assistant Manager - PM Planning & Procurement

About Plum“Chemistry, done with heart” is how best to describe Plum. Our award-winning skincare formulas delight Plumsters while delivering clinically proven results.Founded in 2014 by hands-on formulator and chemical engineer Shankar Prasad, Plum is one of India’s most admired new-age beauty & personal care brands. Our unique approach of bringing together high-potency actives with botanical and mineral ingredients has expanded beyond safe, effective skincare into successful haircare and body care ranges. Beyond being a leading digital-first brand, Plum is now available across 25,000+ retail outlets in India, while steadily expanding into international markets.

The OpportunityAs Plum continues to scale across categories, channels and markets, ensuring the right packaging material is available at the right time, right cost and right inventory level becomes increasingly critical.We’re looking for someone to own and execute Packaging Material Planning & Procurement end-to-end—from material requirement planning and vendor management to commercial negotiations, inventory optimization and timely material availability.

This is a hands-on supply chain role requiring close collaboration with Manufacturing, Production Planning, Packaging Development, Quality, R&D, Marketing, Finance and Warehousing.Beyond ensuring business continuity, you’ll be expected to continuously improve the economics and resilience of our packaging supply chain through cost optimization, alternate sourcing, supplier development and stronger planning.

What You’ll OwnPackaging Material Planning & ProcurementOwn planning and procurement of packaging materials for finished goods, consumables and merchandise based on business requirements.Build monthly and weekly procurement plans aligned to production schedules, BOMs, forecasts and inventory.Plan requirements across bottles, tubes, jars, pumps, caps, labels, cartons and other packaging components.Maintain appropriate safety stock, reorder levels and minimum/maximum inventory norms.Ensure uninterrupted material availability while maintaining optimum inventory

Supplier & Vendor ManagementBuild and maintain a reliable supplier ecosystem for packaging and other relevant materials.Own RFQs and commercial negotiations across pricing, MOQ, payment terms, lead times and delivery schedules.Issue and manage purchase orders and ensure timely material delivery.Monitor suppliers across cost, quality, lead time, OTIF and service levels.Work with suppliers to resolve shortages, delayed deliveries, quality issues and rejected materials.Support vendor audits, contracting and supplier-development initiatives.

Cost Optimization & Alternate SourcingContinuously analyse purchase prices and identify opportunities for cost reduction and value engineering.Develop alternate suppliers for critical packaging components to reduce supply concentration and business risk.Explore suppliers closer to manufacturing locations wherever commercially and operationally viable.Partner with internal teams and vendors to improve commercials without compromising product or packaging quality.

Inventory & Working Capital ManagementTrack packaging inventory and proactively identify slow-moving, excess, obsolete and near-expiry materials.Balance material availability with inventory and working-capital objectives.Improve inventory turns while minimizing stock-outs and production disruption.Partner with Planning, Manufacturing and Warehouse teams to address inventory risks proactively.

NPD & Packaging DevelopmentPartner closely with Packaging, R&D and Marketing teams on new product development.Support sourcing of new packaging components, vendors, commercial samples and prototypes.Coordinate with Packaging teams on specifications, trials and approved vendor/material requirements.Ensure procurement and supply readiness ahead of NPD launch timelines.Support commercialisation of packaging from development through scale-up

Forecasting & Supply ContinuityForecast material requirements using sales trends, production plans, BOMs, historical consumption and supplier lead times.Plan procurement around promotions, seasonality, new launches and changing business requirements.Ensure continuity of supply for critical and imported packaging, including components sourced from China.Conduct supplier/manufacturing-site visits where required to understand capacity, processes and potential supply risks.

Procurement Governance, MIS & KPIsMaintain accurate procurement, inventory, supplier and PO records within ERP/MRP systems.Ensure procurement activities comply with Company processes, approved specifications and applicable requirements.Monitor procurement budgets and provide timely MIS on material availability, inventory, open POs, supplier performance and procurement costs.Build and track relevant KPIs including: Procurement savings, Supplier OTIF, Inventory turns, Stock-outs, Supplier lead times, Excess/obsolete inventory, Purchase-price variance, NPD procurement readiness

What We’re Looking For3+ years of experience in Packaging Material Planning, Procurement, Supply Planning or Strategic Sourcing, preferably within Beauty, Personal Care, FMCG or adjacent consumer categories.Hands-on understanding of packaging components such as bottles, tubes, jars, pumps, caps, labels and cartons.Strong understanding of MRP, inventory planning, BOMs, lead times and safety-stock principles.Strong commercial and vendor-negotiation skills.Experience developing alternate vendors and driving cost-saving initiatives.Ability to work comfortably with data, procurement MIS and ERP/MRP systems.Experience supporting NPD and packaging commercialization would be strongly preferred.Exposure to imported packaging and international suppliers, particularly China, would be useful.Strong cross-functional stakeholder management and execution orientation

Location: Thane