VP-– Aroma Chemicals Portfolio (Domestic + International)- F&F Customers

1) Employer & Role Coordinates

Employer: Confidential Indian aroma-chemicals manufacturer (employer identity shared at the final MD (Managing Director) round)

Location: Mumbai / Navi Mumbai / Pune (high domestic and international travel)

Reports to: MD (Managing Director) / Head of Manufacturing Operations (matrix with the CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) for governance)

Team scope : Global/National KAMs (Key Account Managers), Regional Sales, Distributors/Agents/Traders, Technical Service & Applications, Inside Sales / CS (Customer Service), ExIM (Export–Import); dotted-line: Planning/Supply Chain, Finance/AR (Accounts Receivable), QA (Quality Assurance), Regulatory Affairs, Legal/Compliance)

Compensation: ₹40–70 LPA (lakh per annum) fixed; performance pay as per policy; joining-bonus buyout case-by-case

Mobility: Heavy travel; readiness for final MD round in Mumbai

2) Role Purpose

Anchor profitable, compliant growth of the aroma-chemicals portfolio (legacy SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) and new molecules/derivatives) through a blender-first go-to-market in India and prioritized export corridors. Scale revenue and margin by institutionalizing operating discipline: plan adherence backed by confirmed orders in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management), rigorous sales and demand funnels, and OTIF (On-Time In-Full) dispatches with first-time-right documentation (CoA (Certificate of Analysis), SDS (Safety Data Sheet), labels) plus organoleptic/olfactive checks. Build and govern a high-integrity channel in under-represented markets; eliminate sales returns through specification conformance and documentation accuracy.

3) Scope of Accountability

A) P&L (Profit and Loss) Impact

·        Own the commercial bridge: Deliver annual revenue, uplift GM (Gross Margin) , and land the EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) plan; publish a monthly Revenue→GM→EBITDA bridge with drivers (price, mix, volume, cost-to-serve).

·        Price discipline: Enforce corridor pricing by Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) and region; protect pocket margin via the price waterfall (List → Rebates → Freight/Insurance → Duties/Levies → Cash Discount → Pocket Price → Cost-to-Serve → Pocket Margin).

·        Mix upgrade: Drive derivative/bundle penetration and new-molecule adoption to structurally raise GM%.

·        KPI (Key Performance Indicator) anchors: GM% uplift (basis points), price realization vs corridor, pocket-margin variance (≤±2%), cost-to-serve reduction.

B) Market Expansion & Corridor Strategy

·        Region playbook: Prioritize corridors (Gulf Cooperation Council—GCC / Middle East & Africa—MEA, Southeast Asia—SEA, European Union—EU, Latin America—LATAM) using duty, freight, DG (Dangerous Goods) impact, and competitive intensity.

·        Entry mode choice: Direct vs trader/agent/distributor; define Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ), service norms, and lane economics (with Incoterms 2020 ).

·        Lighthouse acquisition: Land the first 10 marquee blenders/industrial users per region with structured trials → approvals → offtake.

·        Risk register: Currency, sanction exposure, documentation risk; pre-clear with Legal/Compliance.

·        Success signals: Regions opened, non-US export mix, new international customers activated, corridor GM%.

C) Channel Architecture & Governance

·        Build the channel right: Recruit traders/agents/distributors through formal DD (Due Diligence) —financials, references, compliance, sanctions/ DPS (Denied Party Screening) , Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) acknowledgement, Conflict of Interest (COI) declaration.

·        Run it like a system: Execute SLAs (Service Level Agreements) with coverage, sell-through, OTIF (On-Time In-Full), collections, and compliance KPIs; quarterly scorecards with renew/replace gates.

·        Anti-diversion: Territory/customer segmentation, serialised documentation, price-corridor enforcement; zero tolerance for grey-market leakage.

·        Decision rights: Appointment/exit within policy; exceptions escalated per Delegation of Authority (DoA).

·        Proof of value: Channel sell-through, stock turns, aged inventory ≤1%, SLA attainment.

D) Order Discipline & Demand Planning

·        T-10 as the contract with reality: Ensure T-10 (confirmed-order coverage measured 10 days before month-end) ≥80% of the monthly plan with confirmed Purchase Orders (POs), Letters of Credit (LCs), or call-offs logged in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) / CRM (Customer Relationship Management) .

·        S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) backbone: Market signal → Demand plan → Consensus forecast → Supply commit → Dispatch plan → OTIF; run weekly Demand Control to close gaps.

·        Forecast quality: Measure MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) and Bias; publish root causes and corrective actions.

·        Allocation discipline: Manage back-orders and Available-to-Promise/Capable-to-Promise ( ATP/CTP ) using transparent, rules-based allocation.

·        Outcomes: Plan adherence ≥95–100% Quarter/Year-to-Date (YTD); stable MAPE/Bias trends.

E) Regulatory & Quality Conformance

·        Ship safe, ship right: Align with International Fragrance Association ( IFRA ) statements, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) / UK-REACH (United Kingdom REACH) (as applicable), and GHS/CLP (Globally Harmonized System / Classification, Labelling and Packaging) labeling.

·        DG logistics: Ensure International Maritime Dangerous Goods ( IMDG ) / International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) compliance for dangerous goods; correct Harmonized System ( HS ) codes and declarations.

·        Documentation first-time-right: CoA (Certificate of Analysis) , SDS (Safety Data Sheet) , labels, IFRA statements; change control with Quality Management System (QMS).

·        Complaint to closure: Complaint → CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) within ≤10 working days; prevent repeat patterns.

·        Targets: Documents first-time-right ≥99.5%; specification conformance ≥99.7%; olfactive pass ≥99%; zero major audit non-conformities.

F) Cash Discipline & Credit Governance

·        Own the cash conversion cycle: Keep DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) within regional policy; collection efficiency ≥95–100%; >90-day overdues ≤1%.

·        Guardrails on risk: Apply the credit matrix; deploy payment securities (LC, PDC (Post-Dated Cheque) , credit insurance) as warranted; trigger credit holds per policy.

·        Leakage control: Limit credit-note leakage and unauthorized discounts; align incentives to collection quality and gross-to-net , not just top-line.

·        Reporting: Weekly DSO/aging dashboards with owner-wise action plans; bad-debt ceiling ≤0.05% of revenue.

G) Customer Success, Retention & Experience

·        Proactive partnering: Run Quarterly Business Reviews ( QBRs ) for Top-25 and Joint Business Plans ( JBPs ) with clear success metrics (OTIF, returns %, spec conformance, adoption of new products).

·        Voice of Customer (VoC): Instrument Customer Satisfaction Score ( CSAT ) and Net Promoter Score ( NPS ); investigate detractors within 5 working days; publish learnings into SOPs.

·        Retention math: Drive Gross Revenue Retention ( GRR ) ≥92–95% and Net Revenue Retention ( NRR ) ≥105–110%; prevent A/B-tier churn ≤2%.

·        Recovery discipline: Root-cause returns/complaints; embed fixes into documentation and qualification protocols.

H) Data Integrity & Systems Hygiene

·        Single source of truth: CRM as SSOT (Single Source of Truth) for funnel; ERP as system of record for orders/dispatch/invoice/collections; alignment ≥99%.

·        Field hygiene: Mandatory stage, probability, next-step & date in CRM; aging thresholds with auto-alerts/downgrades.

·        Controls: Least-privilege access, audit trails, and change-log reviews; General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) / Indian privacy hygiene.

·        Analytics: Live dashboards for pipeline, T-10, OTIF, returns, DSO; standard definitions for comparability across regions.

I) People Leadership, Capability & Culture

·        Build the bench: Hire and develop hunter/farmer archetypes; competency matrices, playbooks, and coaching on analytics-driven selling and documentation discipline.

·        Performance architecture: Calibrate incentives to pocket-margin, plan adherence (T-10), OTIF, and DSO; prevent gaming (no channel stuffing).

·        Ethics & safety: Enforce ABAC (Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption), Competition-Law, Prevention of Sexual Harassment ( PoSH ) and Code-of-Conduct; annual COI attestations.

·        Ways of working: High-cadence reviews, crisp escalations, and fact-based decision-making.

J) Governance, Risk & Compliance (Trade & Ethics)

·        Trade compliance: Director General of Foreign Trade ( DGFT ) filings, correct HS codes, Incoterms 2020, sanctions/ DPS screening; Dangerous Goods declarations ( IMDG/IATA ).

·        Contracting hygiene: No “side letters”; terms only via approved system templates; Legal sign-off for deviations.

·        Whistle-blower & audit: Encourage speak-up; close findings from internal audit and Compliance within due dates; track repeat observations to zero.

K) Dispatch Reliability & Documentation Excellence

·        Perfect orders as a norm: Hit OTIF (On-Time In-Full) ≥95–98% and Perfect Order Rate (OTIF + error-free docs) ≥95%.

·        Pre-dispatch gate: CoA/SDS/labels/IFRA pack completeness check; Available-to-Promise/Capable-to-Promise ( ATP/CTP ) slot protection for A-SKUs.

·        Returns prevention: Organoleptic/olfactive alignment with customer methods; trend non-conformities and close with CAPA.

L) Commercial Excellence & Portfolio Health

·        Price realization & mix: ≥98% price realization vs corridor; structured bundles and derivatives to reach 35–45% revenue share.

·        Innovation throughput: New-Product Vitality Index ( NPVI ) ≥12–20%; NPI (New Product Introduction) commercialisations ≥ 4/year; Time-to-First-Order ( TtFO ) ≤90 days for priority launches.

·        SKU housekeeping: Rationalize tail SKUs; EOL (End-of-Life) with ≥90% revenue migration to successors; protect service levels during transitions.

---

“What Great Looks Like” (roll-up)

·        Revenue and GM% exceed plan with a clean, explainable EBITDA bridge.

·        T-10 ≥80%; Quarter/YTD plan adherence ≥95–100%; pipeline ≥3×; win rate ≥35–45%.

·        OTIF ≥95–98%; Perfect Order Rate ≥95%; documents first-time-right ≥99.5%; returns ≤0.2%.

·        DSO within policy; >90-day overdues ≤1%; credit exceptions ≤2% (documented).

·        GRR ≥92–95%; NRR ≥105–110%; A/B-tier churn ≤2%.

·        CRM/ERP alignment ≥99%; forecast MAPE/Bias improving quarter-on-quarter.

·        Zero major audit non-conformities; zero tolerance for grey-market, side letters, or COI breaches.

4) Decision Rights & Delegation of Authority (DoA)

·        Commercial: Own pricing within approved price corridors; approve tactical discounts up to X% vs corridor (policy). Above X% requires CFO (Chief Financial Officer)/MD sign-off

·        Credit: Recommend terms within policy; exceptions require Finance (AR) + MD per credit matrix; secure with PDC (Post-Dated Cheque)/LC (Letter of Credit)/credit insurance as warranted

·        Channel: Nominate and onboard traders/agents/distributors post due-diligence (financials, references, compliance, sanctions/DPS (Denied Party Screening)); SLAs countersigned by Legal/Compliance

·        People: Approve hiring and performance actions within sanctioned headcount/budget; calibrate incentives to pocket-margin and collection quality

·        Controls: Authority to stop dispatch where documentation/specification risks are unresolved; no side letters—only systemized contracts

5) 12-Month Business Outcomes (KRAs (Key Results Areas) & Targets)

1.        Revenue / GM / EBITDA: Deliver annual revenue; GM% +150–300 bps (basis points) YoY (Year-over-Year); EBITDA ≥ plan

2.        Market expansion & diversity: Open 3–5 new regions (GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)/MEA (Middle East & Africa), SEA (Southeast Asia), EU (European Union), LATAM (Latin America)); activate 8–12 new international customers; no single export market >35% of export revenue

3.        Channel build: Onboard 6–10 traders/agents/distributors with SLAs on coverage, OTIF, collections, compliance; quarterly channel scorecards

4.        Plan adherence with confirmed orders: T-10 ≥80% of monthly plan backed by confirmed POs (Purchase Orders)/LCs/call-offs in ERP; Quarter/YTD (Year-to-Date) ≥95–100% vs plan

5.        Funnel health (CRM as SSOT (Single Source of Truth)): Pipeline coverage ≥3× next-quarter target; Lead→Opportunity ≥25–35%; Win rate ≥35–45%; average sales cycle ↓10–20% YoY

6.        Dispatch accuracy & OTIF: Perfect Order Rate (OTIF + error-free docs) ≥95%; OTIF ≥95–98%; documentation failures ≤1%

7.        Regulatory & specification conformance: Documents first-time-right ≥99.5% (CoA/SDS/labels); spec conformance ≥99.7%; olfactive pass ≥99%; returns ≤0.2% by volume

8.        Cash discipline: DSO within policy; monthly collection efficiency ≥95–100%; >90-day overdues ≤1%

9.        Customer experience: CSAT ≥4.3/5 or NPS ≥+30 (Top-50 weighted); GRR (Gross Revenue Retention) ≥92–95%; A/B-tier churn ≤2%

10.    Up-sell / cross-sell / bundling: Average SKUs/account ≥3; 15–20% revenue from up/cross-sell; ≥2 bundles commercialized

11.    New-product vitality: NPVI (New-Product Vitality Index) ≥12–20% (≤24-month launches); ≥4 NPI (New Product Introduction) commercializations with GM at/above plan by month 12

12.    Data integrity: CRM hygiene ≥95% (next step & date); ERP/CRM alignment ≥99% (orders/dispatches/collections)

6) Detailed Responsibilities

A) Market Strategy & Expansion

·        Build a rolling 24-month region–mix plan with Finance (FX (Foreign Exchange), GM corridors) and Risk (credit rules)

·        Segment target universe (Tier-A/B/C blenders, flavor & fragrance houses, industrial users); define ICP (Ideal Customer Profile), MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity), service levels

·        Prioritize non-US corridors; select entry mode (direct vs agent/trader/distributor); land first 10 lighthouse customers per new region with Incoterms 2020 and lane economics (duty, freight, DG (Dangerous Goods) impact)

B) Channel Architecture & Governance

·        Recruit traders/agents/distributors via due-diligence (financial statements, references, compliance, sanctions/DPS)

·        Execute SLAs covering price corridors, sell-through targets, OTIF, collections, compliance; run quarterly channel scorecards (renew/replace)

·        Prevent grey-market leakage; enforce territory/customer segmentation; annual COI (Conflict of Interest) attestations for field teams

C) Sales & Demand Operating System

·        Standard funnel: Lead → MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) → SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) → Opportunity → Quote → Trial/Sample → PO (Win/Loss) with exit criteria, probability weights, aging thresholds

·        Demand funnel (S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning)): Market signal → Demand plan → Consensus forecast → Supply commit → Dispatch plan → OTIF; weekly Demand Control

·        Track forecast quality via MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) & Bias; publish gap-to-plan closures

D) Pricing, Contracting & Governance

·        Maintain price corridors by SKU/region; apply the price waterfall to protect pocket margin (list → rebates → freight → cash discount → net)

·        Configure volume/loyalty rebates and bundle pricing with CFO approval; monitor anti-dumping/tariffs and currency with Treasury

·        No side letters; terms only via system contracts; Legal sign-off for deviations

E) O2C (Order-to-Cash), Collections & Credit

·        Enforce credit policy; deploy payment security (PDC/LC) for higher-risk lanes; use credit insurance selectively

·        Publish weekly DSO/collections dashboards; resolve disputes ≤10 working days; root-cause deductions/credit notes with reason codes and CAPA

F) Dispatch Reliability & Documentation

·        Align with Planning/Production/QA/Warehouse/ExIM on ATP (Available-to-Promise)/CTP (Capable-to-Promise); protect A-SKU slots

·        Ensure first-time-right CoA/SDS/labels; organoleptic/olfactive checks per customer method

·        Export documentation pack completeness: Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading/Air Waybill, Country-of-Origin, IFRA Statement, DG declarations, HS (Harmonized System) codes, GHS/CLP labels

G) Regulatory & Quality Compliance

·        Shipments aligned with IFRA statements; REACH/UK-REACH (as applicable); IMDG/IATA transport; provide storage/handling guidance to customers

·        Zero major audit NCs (Non-Conformities); link customer specifications to QMS (Quality Management System) and change control; maintain stability/adulteration safeguards

H) Customer Success & Retention

·        QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews) with Top-25; JBPs (Joint Business Plans) with clear success metrics (OTIF, returns, spec conformance, NPVI adoption)

·        VoC (Voice of Customer) loop; Complaint→CAPA closure ≤10 working days; A/B-tier churn ≤2%

I) NPI (New Product Introduction) & Portfolio Health

·        Stage-gate NPI (business case → sample → pilot → commercial); TtFO (Time-to-First-Order) ≤90 days on priority launches

·        SKU rationalization/EOL (End-of-Life) with ≥90% revenue migration to successor SKUs; manage last-time-buy and substitution packs

J) People, Culture & Ethics

·        Build a hunter–farmer mix; coach for analytics-driven selling, documentation discipline, and CRM hygiene

·        Mandatory ABAC (Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption) and Competition-Law training; no channel stuffing (only order-backed dispatches)

·        Uphold PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) norms and Code of Conduct

7) Operating Rhythm & Cadence

·        Weekly: Pipeline review, O2C/collections dashboard, Demand Control, top risks, pricing corridor exceptions

·        Monthly: S&OP, Diversification Dashboard, GM bridge, channel scorecards, forecast quality (MAPE/Bias)

·        Quarterly: Region reviews, SLA renew/replace, NPI calendar, audit-trail checks, ABAC refresher

·        Annual: Region–mix plan refresh; incentive calibration; policy/DoA updates

8) Interfaces & RACI (Responsible–Accountable–Consulted–Informed)

·        Planning/Supply Chain: ATP/CTP, inventory, dispatch slots — Accountable Sales for order integrity; Responsible Supply for commit

·        Manufacturing/QA: Spec adherence, CoA/SDS, sensory — Responsible QA for release; Consulted Sales on customer method nuances

·        ExIM: Document pack, DG declarations, carrier bookings — Responsible ExIM; Accountable Sales for customer-specific clauses

·        Finance/AR: Credit approval, DSO, overdues — Accountable Finance; Responsible Sales for collections execution

·        Regulatory/Legal: IFRA/REACH statements, contracts — Responsible Regulatory/Legal; Consulted Sales

·        IT/BI (Business Intelligence): CRM/ERP hygiene, dashboards — Responsible IT/BI; Accountable Sales for usage compliance

9) Experience & Qualifications

·        15–25 years in aroma-chemicals/aroma-ingredients B2B (Business-to-Business) sales with deep blender relationships; recent GM–SVP (General Manager–Senior Vice President) mandate with P&L impact

·        Proven region opening (≥2 regions or ≥5 international customers); measurable up-sell/cross-sell/bundling outcomes

·        Documented uplift in GM%, EBITDA, OTIF, DSO, and CSAT/NPS with before/after proofs

·        Education: Chemistry/Chemical/Process discipline preferred; MBA (Master of Business Administration) desirable

10) Competencies & Behaviors (Role-critical)

·        Commercial acumen: Price waterfall, pocket-margin, GM bridge mastery

·        System discipline: Probability hygiene in CRM; forecast quality (MAPE/Bias)

·        Regulatory literacy: IFRA/REACH/GHS/CLP; IMDG/IATA basics

·        Governance: Channel scorecards; terminate/replace without disruption

·        Controls mindset: Documentation first-time-right; anti grey-market rigor

·        Cash excellence: DSO, overdues, credit-insurance levers

·        Leadership DNA: Coach, challenge, raise the bar; high integrity; zero tolerance for side letters and COI breaches

11) 30–60–90-Day Entry Plan (Must-do deliverables)

Days 0–30 (Diagnose & secure controls)

·        Freeze account universe (Top-50 by revenue/margin); verify price corridors, credit terms, COI (Conflict of Interest) attestations

·        Baseline pipeline, T-10, OTIF, DSO, returns; publish initial Revenue→GM→EBITDA bridge and MAPE/Bias baselines

·        Close top documentation defects; mandate CRM hygiene (stage, probability, next step/date)

Days 31–60 (Design & deploy)

·        Finalize 24-month region–mix and channel blueprint; sign 3–5 priority SLAs; launch weekly Demand Control; institute Diversification Dashboard

·        Lift documents first-time-right to ≥98%; implement export doc checklist and pre-dispatch gate

Days 61–90 (Deliver & de-risk)

·        Land first 5 lighthouse international customers; ≥80% T-10 coverage; pipeline ≥3× next-quarter target

·        Reduce >90-day overdues to ≤1%; improve OTIF to ≥95%; lock NPI calendar (≥4 within 12 months) with TtFO ≤90 days

12) Executive Dashboard (What the MD sees weekly)

·        Revenue vs plan | GM% (bps uplift) | EBITDA vs plan (bridge)

·        T-10 coverage | Pipeline coverage | Lead→Opportunity | Win rate | Average sales cycle

·        OTIF | Perfect Order Rate | Documents first-time-right | Returns %

·        DSO | Collection efficiency | Overdues buckets | Credit exception rate

·        Regions opened | New international customers | Non-US export mix | Channel sell-through

·        CSAT/NPS | Complaint→CAPA time | GRR (Gross Revenue Retention)/NRR (Net Revenue Retention) | A/B churn

·        NPVI | NPI commercializations | Sample→order conversion | TtFO | SKU rationalization

13) Governance, Risk & Compliance (Trade & Ethics)

·        Trade: DGFT (Director General of Foreign Trade) filings, HS (Harmonized System) codes, Incoterms 2020, sanctions/DPS screening, accurate GHS/CLP labels, DG declarations (IMDG/IATA)

·        Quality & Safety: IFRA statements; REACH/UK-REACH dossiers (as applicable); SDS Section-14 shipping compliance; storage/handling guidance

·        Ethics: ABAC (Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption), Competition-Law, COI disclosures; no private partnerships with customers/distributors; whistle-blower channels

·        Data: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) / Indian data-privacy hygiene in CRM; least-privilege access; audit trails; change-log reviews

14) Selection Process

13.    CHRO screen: Funnel rigor, plan adherence, dispatch/regulatory cases

14.    Functional panel: Sales/QA/Finance/Dispatch/ExIM—deal craft, documentation discipline, O2C, channel governance

15.    Case exercise: 12-month plan for 10 international blender customers across two new regions and 6+ traders/agents; show monthly plan coverage (confirmed orders), funnel/CRM KPIs, OTIF/dispatch documentation plan, CSAT/retention levers, and a Revenue→GM→EBITDA bridge

16.    Final MD (Mumbai) → references (with consent) → offer

Panel rubric (high-signal):

·        Price waterfall & pocket-margin; GM lift proofs

·        Funnel hygiene and forecast quality (MAPE/Bias)

·        Trade compliance (IFRA/REACH/DG/Incoterms)

·        Channel governance (scorecards, clean terminations)

·        Documentation discipline (CoA/SDS/labels errors trending down)

·        Cash excellence (DSO/overdues/credit-insurance levers)

Red flags: Side-letter culture; weak documentation; top-line bias with poor gross-to-net; tolerance for grey market; weak COI hygiene; “ship & pray” OTIF behavior