Assistant Manager

Role & responsibilities

1. Vendor Development & Relationship Management

• Identify, onboard, and manage vendors across multiple product categories such as raw materials, ingredients, packaging, and co-manufacturing partners.
• Maintain strong, long-term vendor relationships to ensure quality, consistency, and reliability of supply.
• Act as a key liaison between internal stakeholders (NPD, Quality, Production, and Finance) and external vendors.
• Facilitate joint development programs with vendors for new product launches or formulation improvements.
  

2. Sourcing & Negotiation

• Develop category-wise sourcing strategies based on cost, quality, lead time, and risk parameters.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, MOQs, and delivery schedules to achieve best-in-market value.
• Benchmark vendor pricing and performance against market trends to drive continuous cost optimization.
• Manage annual rate contracts and tendering processes for major categories.
  

3. Quality & Compliance Coordination

• Collaborate with the QA team to ensure all vendors comply with food safety standards (FSSAI, HACCP, ISO, etc.).
• Conduct vendor audits, plant inspections, and document verification (COA, MSDS, FSSAI License, etc.).
• Monitor raw material and packaging quality, ensuring adherence to specifications and product safety norms.
• Implement corrective actions in case of quality non-conformance.

Skills & Competencies

• 57 years of vendor management experience in the

  food/FMCG sector

  .
• Strong knowledge of

  raw material sourcing and contract manufacturing

  .
• Excellent negotiation and analytical
• Understanding of food safety regulations (FSSAI, HACCP, ISO 22000).
• Proficiency in MS Excel and reporting tools for spend analysis and KPI dashboards.

Preferred candidate profile