Overview The Sales Operations and Planning Lead, reporting into Sales VP at PepsiCo Foods will play a key strategic and operational role- streamlining initiatives, overseeing daily operations, driving BU specific agendas, and managing communication across the sales leadership team. The role will also have additional responsibilities as chief of staff to the Sales VP, acting as a trusted advisor and right-hand to the Sales VP. The role is responsible to lead and optimize all aspects of sales planning and demand forecasting, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and monthly targets. The role would represent sales function in all critical forums including but not limited to – Productivity council, Operating reviews with CEO, stage-gate etc. Responsibilities Sales Planning & Demand Forecasting: Drive all aspects of sales planning and demand forecasting, from strategic Annual Operating Plan (AOP) development to monthly performance tracking against set targets. Sales Agenda Influence: steer the overall sales agenda to meet ambitious growth targets. Collaborate closely with the Commercial Office on the foods side to align budgets, demand planning (DX), go-to-market strategies (GTM), capability building, and address any operational overlaps. Partner with Units to identify challenges in achieving plans related to input KPIs and supply chain. Facilitate problem-solving by collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Category Management and Supply Chain, to unlock necessary solutions. Work closely with IT team to ensure all sales reports or any other data related pieces are accurate and per the required norms, ensuring timely updates to the same Regularly partner with the entire sales leadership team and the sales finance team to ensure operating efficiency in plans and forecasting Support the Sales VP in all review at BU or sector level by leading the pieceing together of all accurate and relevant information in a concise and well structured manner suitable for CXO reviews. Act as a key support to the Sales VP, providing counsel on business decisions, prioritizing initiatives, and ensuring alignment across the organization. Lead the planning and execution of all sales events, ranging from large-scale sales conferences to critical market-specific agenda rollouts, ensuring central oversight and alignment. Oversee the coordination of monthly sales webcasts and any communications led by the Sales VP, ensuring consistent, timely, and clear messaging across the organization. Oversee and manage the daily operations of the sales function, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and alignment with strategic priorities. Serve as a liaison between the Sales VP and other senior leaders, ensuring effective communication, alignment, and execution of key initiatives. Qualifications MBA with atleast 14+ years of Sales experience Sales Planning & Forecasting Expertise: Strong understanding of sales planning, demand forecasting, and performance tracking methodologies. Ability to work effectively with diverse teams, including Category Management, Supply Chain, and Commercial Offices, to address challenges and unlock opportunities. Project Management: Strong leadership in managing and executing sales events and initiatives, ensuring timely and successful outcomes. Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely to various audiences. Analytical Skills: Ability to synthesize data and insights into well-structured reports and presentations for senior leadership. Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving capabilities, especially in identifying and addressing operational and strategic challenges. Cross functional senior stakeholder management.