Manager – Regional Logistics, Warehousing and Distribution (APAC)

Ashland India Private Ltd

Title: Manager – Regional Logistics, Warehousing and Distribution (APAC)

Are you the kind of person that is always thinking, sketching, seeking, and adjusting? Who needs to understand how things work and then figure out how they can work better? Are you a passionate, tenacious, solver who loves to work with others who share your drive? Are you positive, constructive, and ingenious?
 

Are you always solving?

Then we’d like to meet you and bet you’d like to meet us.

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for an Manager – Regional Logistics, Warehousing and Distribution (APAC)  to join our (Ashland LLC, Specialty ingredients G.P., ISP Chemicals etc.) business at our Hyderabad Office. This is a very visible, significant role within the Company and the Product Stewardship function. This position will report to General Manager, Life Sciences APAC & Regional Director, Asia Pacific.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Warehousing and Distribution Leadership

• Lead warehousing and distribution operations across the APAC region.
• Govern all third-party warehouses, logistics service providers and transportation contractors.
• Develop and maintain warehouse governance standards and audit processes.
• Ensure inventory integrity, operational efficiency and service excellence.
• Drive continuous improvement and standardization across all logistics partners.
• Establish scorecards and performance management processes for all 3PL operators.
• Lead quarterly business reviews and supplier performance assessments.

Regional Replenishment and Inventory Deployment

• Own replenishment planning and inventory deployment strategies across the region.
• Ensure safety stock policies support customer service requirements while optimizing working capital.
• Coordinate cross-country inventory balancing and stock redeployment activities.
• Manage slow-moving, excess and obsolete inventory reduction initiatives.
• Support business growth through proactive inventory planning and deployment strategies.

Customer Service Product Delivery and Indent Sales Logistics

• Deliver targeted service levels and OTIF performance across all APAC markets.
• Ensure successful execution of local distribution and indent sales business models.
• Coordinate logistics execution for imported products, customs clearances and customer deliveries.
• Communicate  supply disruptions to Customer Service Reps..
• Partner with commercial and customer service organizations to ensure customer commitments are met.

Compliance, Quality and Regulatory Governance:

The role supports a portfolio that includes:

• Pharmaceutical excipients
• Pharmaceutical ingredients
• Personal care ingredients
• Specialty chemical products
• Regulated and non-regulated materials.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring GDP and GMP-compliant storage and distribution activities.
• Maintaining audit readiness throughout the regional warehouse network.
• Ensuring traceability and inventory control requirements are met.
• Supporting customer, regulatory and internal audits.
• Governing documentation, product handling, and transportation requirements for regulated products.
• Governance of regulated operations, audit readiness, traceability, data integrity and quality compliance is identified as a core requirement within Supply Chain CoE logistics leadership roles. ​

Logistics Safety, Security and Risk Management

• Establish and maintain world-class logistics safety standards across the regional network.
• Ensure compliance with applicable transportation, dangerous goods and regulatory requirements.
• Lead warehouse and transportation risk assessments.
• Implement security standards and business continuity plans.
• Drive contractor safety performance and corrective action programs.
• Ensure all logistics providers operate in accordance with company EHS expectations..

Cost Management and Operational Excellence

• Own logistics cost performance across APAC.
• Develop and manage warehousing and distribution budgets.
• Lead freight, warehouse and distribution optimization initiatives.
• Identify productivity and network improvement opportunities.
• Deliver year-over-year logistics productivity improvements.
• Support procurement in transportation and warehouse contract negotiations.

Leadership Expectations

A critical requirement for this position is the demonstrated ability to successfully lead large, diverse and geographically dispersed logistics networks remotely.

The successful candidate will have:

• Proven experience managing multiple countries from a centralized location.
• Demonstrated success leading outsourced warehouse and distribution operations (including distributers) through indirect influence rather than direct operational control.
• Strong capability working across multiple cultures, time zones and business environments.
• Experience resolving supply and service issues through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong interpersonal effectiveness with regional business managers, commercial leaders, supply organizations and external logistics partners.
• Proven competence in virtual leadership skills.

This role requires a leader who can influence without direct authority and drive consistent execution through governance, performance management, analytics and relationship leadership.

Systems and Digital Requirements

Required

• SAP ECC 6.0
• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
• Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
• Advanced Excel
• Power BI or equivalent analytics platforms

Preferred

• SAP S/4HANA
• SAP EWM
• SAP TM
• AI-enabled supply chain planning and logistics tools
• Advanced analytics and automation platforms
• Logistics contrer solutionsol tow

Experience with SAP ECC and exposure to SAP S/4HANA-enabled operating models are specifically identified as desirable capabilities within Supply Chain CoE and logistics leadership roles. 

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Operations Management or Business.

Preferred

• MBA or Master's Degree
• APICS/ASCM CSCP
• APICS/ASCM CPIM
• Lean Six Sigma Certification

Experience Requirements

Required

• Minimum 10 years of warehousing, logistics, distribution or supply chain experience.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing multi-country logistics operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing large regional logistics networks remotely.
• Significant experience governing third-party warehouses, distributors  and outsourced logistics providers.
• Experience supporting regulated industries including pharmaceutical, personal care, life sciences, ingredients or specialty chemicals.
• Proven success leading safety, service, compliance and cost improvement initiatives across complex regional networks.

Preferred

• Experience managing operations across India, China, Japan, Indonesia , Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Korea and Australia.
• Experience supporting SAP transformation programs.
• SAP S/4HANA implementation exposure.
• Experience applying AI and advanced analytics to logistics, warehousing and inventory optimization.

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland LLC. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, personal care and pharmaceutical. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer.
 
At Ashland our vision is to be a leading, global specialty chemicals company whose inspired and engaged employees add value to all we touch. In fact our people, employees, customers and vendors define who we are. They are the driving force behind everything we do.
 
Not only do we value our customers but we value our employees, and we work to offer them a dynamic and challenging environment. We hold ourselves to high standards at Ashland, and we value integrity and honesty.
 
Ashland has a history of attracting the best people and keeping them. The reasons are simple: industry competitive salary and benefits, pay-for-performance incentive plans and a diverse work environment where employees feel challenged and valued. People come to Ashland and stay. As a growing Fortune 500 specialty chemicals company, we offer opportunities for development and advancement throughout our global organization. Our values define who we are and what we care about as a company. If you are looking for a relationship with a company instead of simply a job, this may be a great fit.

Ashland is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. NOTE:  We do not accept resumes from external staffing agencies or independent recruiters for any of our openings unless we have a signed recruiting agreement in place to fill a specific position.