Demand Planning Assistant Manager – Beauty & Wellbeing (B&W)

Supply Tech Nexus; Dubai Emirate; On-site; AED 246,000 - 357,000; Full time

Job summary

Unilever in Dubai seeks a Demand Planning Assistant Manager to lead S&OP and S&OE for Skin Care, leveraging Kinaxis and FEU in a fast-moving FMCG environment.

You will manage KPI governance, portfolio optimization, and quarterly SKU rationalization to drive growth while coordinating with regional/global forums. Requires 4+ years in supply chain and advanced Excel skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Supply Chain required.
• 4+ years of supply chain experience; FMCG background preferred.
• Hands-on Kinaxis and FEU experience is a strong advantage.
• Advanced MS Excel skills essential.
• Understanding of forecasting methods including ML-based approaches is a plus.
• Strong stakeholder management and data analytics capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the monthly S&OP cycle for Skin Care, long- and short-term forecasting.
• Direct weekly S&OE cycle, analyze orders, identify gaps, provide recovery input.
• Set up forecasts via FEU, run Kinaxis processes, monitor KPI dashboards.

Skills

MS Excel

Forecasting methods

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

ML forecasting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Supply Chain

Tools

Kinaxis

FEU

Job description

Dubai, UAE

• Unilever
• FMCG / Beauty & Personal Care
• Full-time On-site

The Context

Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer goods companies with iconic brands across beauty, food, and home care, is looking for a Demand Planning Assistant Manager to lead S&OP and S&OE cycles for its Skin Care category from its Dubai hub. The role sits within the Beauty & Wellbeing business unit and combines advanced demand planning with Kinaxis system management, KPI governance, and portfolio optimization.

What The Role Covers

S&OP & S&OE Cycle Leadership

You lead the entire monthly S&OP cycle for the Skin Care category, covering long-term and short-term forecasting, business target alignment, growth ambition setting, and multi-driver analysis to compose the total demand forecast. You also lead the weekly S&OE cycle, analyzing customer order data, identifying gaps and opportunities, and providing timely recovery feedback.

Kinaxis & Forecasting System Management

You set up and adjust the forecast baseline through FEU, execute S&OP and S&OE processes through Kinaxis, and leverage Kinaxis data analysis modules for KPI monitoring and actuals vs. forecast analysis. You bring hands-on experience with advanced planning tools including machine learning-based forecasting methodologies.

KPI Management & Portfolio Optimization

You analyze category-specific KPIs on a monthly basis, report at SCLT and global forums, and correct gaps in upcoming planning cycles. You lead quarterly SKU Rationalization activities to simplify the portfolio and drive higher volume-value growth. You monitor distributor OS&R against targets and manage SLOB — highlighting slow-moving and non-moving stocks for appropriate disposal actions.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Supply Chain
• 4+ years of supply chain experience — FMCG background strongly preferred
• Hands-on Kinaxis and FEU experience is a strong advantage
• Advanced MS Excel skills
• Understanding of forecasting methods including machine learning-based approaches is a plus
• Strong stakeholder management and data analytics capabilities

Why This Role Stands Out - Supply Tech Nexus Take

Unilever is one of the most sophisticated FMCG supply chain environments in the world, and an Assistant Manager role leading S&OP for a major category like Skin Care gives you direct ownership of a commercially significant planning cycle from Dubai. The Kinaxis system expertise is particularly valuable — as one of the leading advanced planning platforms globally, it's increasingly adopted across large FMCG and manufacturing organizations, making this skill genuinely transferable and in demand across the GCC market. For demand planners with 4+ years of FMCG experience ready to step into a leadership-track planning role, this is a strong opportunity with one of the most recognized brands in the industry.

Salary Benchmark - UAE Market (2024/2025)

For a Demand Planning Assistant Manager with 4+ years of FMCG planning experience, based in Dubai:

• Base salary: AED 22,000 - 32,000/month

Curated and published by Supply Tech Nexus - the job platform dedicated to supply chain and logistics professionals across the MENA & GCC region.

Victor L. | Supply Tech Nexus | Logistics

• WMS
• SAP
• GCC Region