Demand Planning Analyst

Gulbahar Tobacco International Fze; Dubai; On-site; AED 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international tobacco firm in Dubai is seeking a Demand Planning Analyst who will lead the demand planning process, analyze historical data, and generate actionable forecasts. The ideal candidate has over 3 years of experience in demand planning within regulated industries, strong analytical skills, and expertise in Excel and Power BI. This full-time in-house role offers a dynamic, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in demand planning, sales analytics, or commercial forecasting within FMCG, tobacco, or regulated industries.
• Proven ability to consolidate scattered data and convert it into commercial insight.
• Proactive, collaborative, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the monthly demand planning process and create rolling forecasts by market and SKU.
• Provide Supply Chain with validated demand plans to avoid stock issues.
• Build and maintain dashboards to track sales performance and trends.

Skills

Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel

Experience with Power BI

Excellent analytical capabilities

Strong understanding of demand planning cycles

Strong communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Economics, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Job description

Position : Demand Planning Analyst.

Location : Jabal Ali Freezone, Dubai, UAE.

Contract Type : Full-Time, In-House.

Reports to : Director of Global Sales & Commercial Growth.

Are you a data-driven problem-solver who thrives on turning numbers into actionable strategies? Do you excel at balancing forecast accuracy , market insights , and sales performance tracking ? If yes, GTI wants you on our team!

What You Will Do :

Demand Forecasting & Planning :

• Lead the monthly demand planning process and own the creation of rolling forecasts (3 / 6 / 12-month) by market and SKU.
• Analyze historical shipment data , market dynamics, and seasonality to build accurate demand plans.
• Integrate commercial inputs, promotional plans, and distributor feedback into forecast models.
• Drive GTI’s Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) cycle : prepare demand review inputs, align with cross-functional teams, and ensure forecast accountability.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and propose improvements to reduce forecast error and improve planning responsiveness.
• Assess and synthesize external market inputs (e.g., trade feedback, census data, field insights) into demand signals.

Inventory & Sales Performance Visibility :

Provide Supply Chain with validated demand plans to avoid stock-outs, aging inventory, or overproduction.

Track and report stock coverage , safety stock, and product velocity by market / customer / SKU.

Identify gaps in demand vs. supply and propose mitigation plans with relevant stakeholders.

Support launch planning for new products or packaging formats with demand simulations and allocation logic.

Sales Reporting & Data Analysis :

Consolidate and structure large datasets from shipment records, customers, and markets.

Build and maintain Excel or Power BI dashboards that track volume trends , seasonality, customer segmentation, SKU performance, and forecast vs. actual variances.

Conduct deep-dive analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to measure sales performance, customer frequency, and region-specific trends.

Read and interpret third-party market data (e.g., retail audits , census data, market studies) to assess market preferences and commercial potential.

Provide monthly and quarterly sales performance reports for leadership decision-making.

Process Development & Cross-functional Collaboration :

Work closely with Supply Chain, Finance, and Commercial teams to align demand plans with supply capabilities and business targets.

Help define the forecast ownership process , cadence, and documentation framework.

Contribute to the development and optimization of GTI’s demand planning tools, templates, and reporting cadence.

Participate in commercial audits, distributor reviews, and market visits to validate assumptions and evolve planning maturity.

Required Skills To Be Successful :

Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel (Power Query, Pivot Tables, Lookup functions) and experience with Power BI or similar dashboard tools.

Excellent analytical capabilities and ability to interpret large, complex datasets.

Strong understanding of demand planning cycles, forecast accuracy KPIs, and S&OP principles.

Able to generate insights from external data such as retail audits or national statistics.

Proactive, collaborative, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, transformation-driven environment.

Strong communication skills to translate data into actionable recommendations across departments.

What Equips You For The Role :

3+ years of experience in demand planning , sales analytics, or commercial forecasting within FMCG, tobacco, or regulated industries.

Hands-on experience with S&OP processes , forecasting tools, and ERP / sales data environments.

Proven ability to consolidate scattered data and convert it into commercial insight.

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Economics, Engineering , or related field.

Fluent in English; additional languages (Arabic and Russian) are a plus.