Inventory Planner

Lobo Management; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A multinational organization is seeking an experienced Supply Planner in Dubai. The role involves managing supply planning processes, optimizing vendor collaboration, and ensuring inventory availability. Ideal candidates will have over 3 years in supply planning within FMCG, proficient in SAP and Excel. Strong analytical and communication skills are essential for the role.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a Supply Planning role within FMCG, retail, or regulated categories.
• Expert-level Excel proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Manage and optimize supply planning and replenishment processes.
• Define and maintain the balance between service rate and stock coverage.
• Collaborate with Demand Planners for accurate SKU-level forecasts.
• Compute optimal purchasing quantities based on various parameters.
• Coordinate performance with Commercial and Brand teams.
• Monitor out-of-stock situations and develop recovery scenarios.
• Track and report on supply reliability and delivery performance.

Skills

Supply Planning

Excel

Analytical Skills

Stakeholder Engagement

Communication

Tools

SAP

RELEX

Microsoft Office

Job description

Our client, a globally recognized multinational organization, is currently seeking a highly capable Supply Planner to support its growing operations.

The primary role of the Supply Planner is to manage and optimize the supply planning and replenishment processes across a portfolio of suppliers, with the goal of maximizing On-Shelf Availability (OSA) while minimizing supply inefficiencies and ensuring alignment with commercial strategies.

Main Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the optimal balance between service rate to stores and stock coverage. Monitor key indicators (OSA, service rate, sales, and out-of-stocks) and implement corrective actions with relevant stakeholders.
• Analyze and update planning parameters in global systems (SAP and RELEX), including lead times, packaging, order frequency, and road-to-market characteristics.
• Collaborate with Demand Planners to build accurate SKU-level forecasts that align with commercial and financial expectations (e.g., budget, promotions).
• Compute optimal purchasing quantities using forecast data, product life cycle stage, supplier requirements (MOQ, lead time, cash flow), and Open-To-Buy constraints. Issue accurate and timely purchase orders and ensure on-time supplier deliveries.
• Coordinate supply performance with the Commercial and Brand teams. Track delivery quality (physical vs. bill of lading, timeliness, etc.) and ensure compliance with the Logistics Charter.
• Monitor out-of-stock situations at warehouse and store levels. Develop recovery scenarios (e.g., stock transfers, air freight, SKU substitution) based on cost and business opportunity analysis.
• Track and report key performance indicators related to supply reliability, delivery performance, and stock health. Contribute to process improvements and best-practice implementation.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a Supply Planning role within FMCG, retail, or regulated categories.
• Expert-level Excel proficiency

Key Skills & Attributes

Technical Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Strong experience with planning tools such as SAP (BW), RELEX, or equivalent ERP systems.
• Solid understanding of Open-To-Buy (OTB) and supply planning metrics.
• Strong analytical capabilities, with the ability to interpret data and take action.

Behavioral & Interpersonal Skills

• Proactive and self-driven.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Comfortable working in an S&OP environment with cross-functional teams.
• Strong commercial acumen and communication skills