VP. Head of Global Supply Chain, Surgical

The VP, Global Supply Chain will lead the Global Supply Chain Surgical Franchise and represent the MTO organization at the Global Franchise (GFT) as well as with the Regional Commercial Teams to ensure efficient and effective, uninterrupted product supply and information flows. The individual will partner with these President-led organizations to ensure successful product launches and portfolio management. They will also assess and analyze current and future product needs within a highly regulated and transforming marketplace by newly emerging distribution channels and digital customer experiences.

This role will develop and implement industry-best supply chain processes along the entire value chain for highly cross-functional Sales and Operations as well as Life-Cycle-Management planning and execution processes. They will partner with Regional Franchise Heads, Global Brand Directors, Operations Heads/GMs and Finance to define product volume and inventory needs for launches and product changes (commercial or regulatory driven). Lastly this person will develop and roll-out Digital Customer Experiences as well as digitalization for efficiency gains.

Essential Functions

• Global responsibility for the total brand portfolio of the Franchise at each country and distributor market that covers all marketing channels; assess and leads the reviews and decision making for the future demand, the impact on manufacturing (capacity and cost absorption), company cash flow and profit / tax payments (local / global) through inventory levels and positioning by considering launch and in-market product strategies.   

• Responsible for global customer service levels, speed to market, operational costs (total cost to serve) and inventory / working capital positions incl. obsolescence.  

• Owner for driving strategic volume plan alignment and tactical / S&OP plan.  Align with the Commercial areas of the Regions and the Global Franchise Teams, Finance and MTO to ensure plans that are synchronized and/or reconciled between volume and financial plans through collaboration across all key functions within Alcon.    

• Key partner for the Global Brand Directors (VPs) as well as Regional Franchise Heads (Presidents) to review, analyse and decide on forecasted market volume needs and disposition of supply and inventory.     

• Act as a key thought partner with the Franchise Operations Head (VP) in driving decision making at the GFT to reflect a complete and entrepreneurial view (market success, but also cost efficiencies through effective execution).    

• Advocate and champion uninterrupted product availability during major project implementations that touch supply chain processes such as in IT (eg IRIS, Commercial Systems, WHS systems) by driving rigorous best practices as part of the projects and ensure proper business continuity measures.    

• Develop and implement Digital enhancement tools as well as lead efforts on internal and external Customer Experience through items not limited to Artificial Intelligence in predictive analytics, access to customer networks and point-of-use data on new marketing channels.    

• Leads end-to-end transparency on product need by the use of advanced systems (SAP APO/IBP and ERP/IRIS) and maximize these tools for automated replenishments such as “PUSH”.

• Ensure design and approval of resources for life-cycle processes to ensure uninterrupted product supply (cut-over / bridging stock planning), develop graphics standards and texts for global markets, continued creation of central repository for digital assets, and management of label changes.    

• Provide development, training, and coaching in order to grow and maintain a global talent pool that assures a high-performance organization.    

• Ensure embedding best practices on key processes such as global branding and life cycle management – particularly new product launches and product rationalization.

Experience Details

• A minimum of 15 years of progressive, minimum regional, preferred global supply chain leadership experience with a large (min $5B) organization, ideally within medical device, FMCG, or (bio-) pharma/healthcare industries.

• Ability to attract, build, and retain a customer-centric, results-focused, multicultural team.

• Strong EQ coupled with outstanding relationship building and communication skills to earn credibility enterprise-wide and successfully navigate within a global, fast-paced, highly matrixed organization.

• Exceptional strategic and tactical operational leadership experience.

• Highly analytical with a st