Junior Demand Planner

Job Purpose

To drive accurate demand forecasting, optimize inventory levels, and improve service fulfillment to HORECA customers (hotels, restaurants, catering). The role balances market demand, sales projections, and supplier availability to ensure freshness, minimal waste, and maximum customer satisfaction across the company’s foodservice operations.

Key Job Responsibilities

1. Demand Planning & Forecasting

• Collect and analyze daily, weekly, and monthly sales data from the HORECA team to create accurate forecasts by SKU and customer category.
• Develop rolling forecasts considering seasonality, promotions, events, and seasonal trends.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and adjust based on actual sales and market intelligence.
• Use statistical tools (Excel / ERP / BI dashboards) to model demand variability and supplier lead times.
• Coordinate closely with procurement to align supply plans with demand signals.

2. Inventory & Supply Optimization

• Maintain optimal stock levels of company’s products— balancing availability vs. wastage.
• Collaborate with operations and QC to manage shelf life and rotation (FIFO).
• Track inventory health KPIs (days of cover, stockout %, wastage %, overstock %).
• Support procurement in supplier planning ad order scheduling.
• Recommend safety stock levels by SKU category (local vs. import, short vs. medium shelf life).

3. Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)

• Plan and lead the weekly demand review meeting with Sales, Procurement, and Operations.
• Present forecast deviations and root causes (over-forecast, under-forecast, cancellations).
• Support finance in setting accurate purchasing budgets and wastage provisions.
• Align all divisions (Retail, HORECA, Wholesale) for consistent demand signals.

4. Data Management & Reporting

• Maintain SKU master data accuracy (pack size, yield %, lead time).
• Produce dashboards: forecast accuracy %, fill rate %, wastage %, and OTIF %.
• Support ERP demand module updates and system integration (Focus / SAP ).
• Analyze customer trends and recommend SKU rationalization or introduction.

5. Continuous Improvement

• Identify forecasting inefficiencies and lead improvement projects (e.g., daily sales auto-upload, dynamic reorder triggers).
• Partner with HORECA sales and procurement to reduce overstock and wastage.
• Conduct detailed analysis for major forecast errors and implement preventive actions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain, Operations, or Business Administration
• 2–3 years of experience in Fruits & Vegetables / FMCG / Foodservice demand planning
• UAE market experience mandatory; knowledge of HORECA channel operations preferred
• Strong Excel & analytics skills; ERP (Focus, SAP, or Tally) knowledge required

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: AED7,000.00 - AED8,000.00 per month

Application Question(s):

• What is your monthly expected salary in AED?
• Are you available to join immediately?

Experience:

• UAE Demand Planning: 2 years (Preferred)