Inventory Planning Lead

Job Title : Inventory Planning Lead

Location - Pune

Job Summary

The Inventory Planning Lead will be responsible for driving the organization’s end-to-end inventory strategy, ensuring optimal stock levels to support revenue goals while maintaining strong financial and operational controls. This role requires close collaboration with Revenue, Merchandising, Finance, and Accounts teams to streamline planning, audit processes, and month-end activities.

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Planning & Strategy

Lead the overall inventory planning process to ensure availability, minimize stock-outs, and optimize working capital.

Collaborate with Revenue and Merchandising teams to align inventory strategies with sales forecasts, assortment plans, and business objectives.

Monitor inventory health, ageing, and demand patterns to recommend corrective actions.

Financial Coordination

Partner with the Finance team to assess and manage working capital requirements tied to inventory.

Provide timely updates, forecasts, and insights on inventory levels and financial impact.

Operational Controls & Reporting

Manage the month-on-month inventory books closure process in coordination with the Accounts team.

Ensure accurate reporting of inventory metrics, reconciliations, and variance analyses.

Audit & Compliance

Lead all internal and external inventory audits, ensuring adherence to organizational policies and statutory requirements.

Strengthen and implement inventory control processes and SOPs to reduce risks and discrepancies.

Qualifications & Skills

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Engineering, or related field; MBA or Post-Graduate in Operations / Supply Chain preferred.

Ideal candidates would be alumni of NITIE, IIT, or SPJIMR given the technical rigor and strong operations background these institutions offer.

5–10 years of experience in inventory planning, supply chain management, or related functions.

Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and drive strategic decisions.

Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills.

Familiarity with ERP systems and inventory management tools is an advantage.

Competencies

Detail-oriented and process-driven

Strong stakeholder management

Problem-solving and decision-making ability

Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment