Manager - Operations Planning (Sourcing) - Fashion Retail

WOW Softech

Role - Manager - Operations Planning (Sourcing)

Location - Dubai

Experience - 12-15 Years in Operations Planning and Sourcing, Global supply planning for Apparel and Fashion retail

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure execution of all factory capacity and production planning processes as per business needs with the assigned factories and/or product categories and lead the factory team in achieving highest level of production timelines and on time delivery.
• Have visibility of critical path confirmation from sourcing regions - sample approvals, production and cargo handover accuracy in collaboration with regional sourcing and quality teams in India, Bangladesh, China & Egypt and provide efficient and effective solutions to requests from the brand.
• Understand the business volatility according to the sales trend and manage vendors capacity increase or decrease, material planning, production planning accordingly.
• Work closely with regional heads in key sourcing regions:

(1) all sourced products are planned and delivered according to agreed timelines.

(2) overall capacity planning process, priorities, chargeback policies, and standards are well understood and executed.

(3) factory relationship is maintained

(4) personal skills are continuously upgraded

• Own Delivery KPI and ensure that performance issues and proposed solutions are escalated on time to minimize prepaid air shipments due to delays.
• Own and drive vendor wise seasonal allocation in collaboration with buying teams as per the initial growth strategy and making vendors to be agile to handle flow of business based on volatility in sales.
• Own and drive Vendor Score Card on half yearly basis including vendor segmentation, derived action plan for Key and Strategic Vendors in alignment with business priorities across multiple cross functional departments Buying, Quality and Regional sourcing and quality teams.
• Own and drive an efficient process to avoid overbooking beyond vendor capacities and to liaise with buyers, vendors and regional teams for level loading on monthly basis via different measures. e.g. vendor capacity reservation, Vendor Manage Inventory process and product consolidations.
• Own and drive Vendor Managed Inventory program by working with demand planning and buying team by sharing volume forecast to vendors for all consistent lines and reduce the Leadtime by material staging and capacity planning.

Knowledge, skills & abilities

• Microsoft Excel Proficiency Advance / Expert level.
• Strong Communication, collaboration with crossfunctional teams and influencing skills.
• Strong understanding of how garment factories operate in India, China, Bangladesh &Pakistan.
• Work Experience in Apparel/Non-Apparel liaison office or similar buying/sourcing offices managing suppliers.