Grandiose is a home-grown Retail chain giving its customers a different experience for shopping and dining in the UAE. The fast-growing premium grocery retailer is looking for a Demand Planner - Food (Fresh/Food/Non-Food) for their Supply Chain Department
Job Purpose:
To drive accurate demand forecasting and inventory planning for food categories (Ambient, Fresh, Chilled, Frozen), ensuring high availability, minimal waste, and optimized stock levels across stores & e-commerce channels.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Demand Forecasting
- Develop SKU-store level forecasts for food categories
- Analyze:
- Historical sales
- Seasonality (Ramadan, festive peaks, weekends)
- Promotion & Offers Impact
- Maintain rolling forecasts (weekly/monthly)
- Track and improve Forecast Accuracy (FA%)
2. Category-wise Planning (Food Focus)
Handle demand planning across:
- Fresh Food (F&V, Bakery, Meat)
- Chilled & Frozen
- Ambient Grocery
Special focus on:
- Short shelf-life SKUs
- High volatility demand items
- Imported vs local sourcing variability
3. Promotion & Event Planning
- Work with Commercial/Category teams to:
- Forecast uplift for promotions
- Plan seasonal demand spikes
- Ensure no stock-outs during key events
- Evaluate post-promo performance vs forecast
4. Replenishment Alignment
- Translate demand plan into replenishment requirements
- Coordinate with replenishment team for:
- DC stock availability
- Store allocation
- Support automated replenishment systems
5. Inventory & Waste Optimization
- Maintain optimal:
- Days of Inventory (DOH)
- Safety stock levels
- Monitor and reduce:
- Near-expiry stock
- Food waste
- Ensure adherence to FEFO (First Expiry First Out)
6. Supplier Coordination
- Align demand plans with:
- Supplier lead times
- MOQ constraints
- Highlight supply risks and gaps early
- Support procurement in:
- Order planning
- Vendor performance tracking
7. Multi-Channel Planning Support
- Ensure demand planning supports:
- Retail stores
- Dark stores
- Online platforms (Q-commerce)
8. Data Analysis & Reporting
- Use tools like:
- Excel
- Power BI
- ERP (SAP preferred)
- Generate insights on:
- Sales trends
- OOS drivers
- Demand variability
- Maintain dashboards for:
- Forecast vs Actual
- Availability metrics
Key KPIs
- Forecast Accuracy (%)
- On Shelf Availability (OSA %)
- Food Waste %
- Stock Cover (DOH)
- Fill Rate (in coordination with supply/replenishment)
Key Skills & Competencies
- Strong understanding of food retail dynamics
- Analytical & data-driven mindset
- Knowledge of:
- Demand planning concepts
- Inventory management
- Strong Excel & reporting skills
- Ability to work cross-functionally
Preferred Experience
- 4–8 years in:
- Demand planning / supply chain
- FMCG / supermarket / food retail
- Experience handling:
- High SKU complexity
- Perishable inventory
