Product Planning Manager

Every employee at Al Rostamani Group plays a role in making a real difference to the business and our customers. We care for our employees by offering them meaningful and purposeful work and an opportunity to grow, learn, contribute and succeed. Today, the Al Rostamani Group has come a long way since its birth in 1957. Our group has grown steadfastly with the guiding principles of Commitment, Care & Vision, alongside a strong sense of active involvement in the community. We are a well-diversified group, with a key presence in industries such as General Trading, Automobiles and Heavy Equipment, Travel, Foreign Exchange, Financial Services, Property Management, Construction, Infrastructure Development and Information Technology Services. Our Group employs approximately 2000 people from 41 different nationalities, which contributes to our multicultural and multi-national environment.

Central Trading Company is the first company under the Al Rostamani Group. It is one of the most valuable players in the automotive aftermarket representing a portfolio of 25 world renowned brands such as Michelin, Castrol and Blue Star.

Job Purpose

The Senior Product Planning Manager is responsible for overseeing comprehensive product planning operations across a diverse portfolio, managing relationships with more than 25 suppliers and ensuring the availability of thousands of inventory and non-inventory SKUs. The role drives strategic sourcing initiatives, optimizes product flows, and supports business objectives by balancing cost-effectiveness, supply reliability, and operational excellence at an enterprise scale, and eventually ARG Automotive level. This role will have a direct impact on the P&L.

Job Responsibilities

• Build the multi‑year product planning strategy aligned to revenue, margin, cascade annual/quarterly operating plans and policy parameters (service levels, safety‑stock, min/max).
• Define & lead the cross‑functional Sales & Operations Planning cycle through integrating Demand, Supply, Commercial, and Finance and ensuring scenario planning and executive trade‑offs (availability vs. cost vs. cash).
• Establish product lifecycle governance (NPI/refresh/rationalization/E&O exit) across 20+ product lines and channels
• Deliver statistically grounded forecasts augmented by market and promotion inputs; improve forecast accuracy and bias by segment.
• Translate demand into supply and replenishment plans using advanced planning in SAP; optimize reorder points, lead times, MOQ/MFQ, and deployment logic across warehouses/branches.
• Own category strategies for Tyres, lubricants, batteries, parts, accessories, and workshop equipment; define role of each line in the portfolio.
• Lead and participate actively to supplier selection, performance reviews, and long‑term agreements; negotiate price, terms, service levels, and risk‑mitigation with suppliers.
• Partner with Finance to track cost‑to‑serve and landed cost; deliver material cost reductions and mix improvements.
• Set channel‑specific stock availability SLAs; drive fill‑rate/OTIF while meeting inventory‑turn and cash targets.
• Proactively manage E&O and lifecycle exits; implement playbooks for slow/non‑moving items.
• Run weekly exception management (backorders, allocation, expediting/de‑expediting).
• Oversee order placement, import/export and customs clearance calendars; compress lead times and variability in partnership with Logistics & Warehousing.
• Embed HSSE and quality standards in planning and warehouse flows.
• Build a planning analytics suite in Power BI with drill‑downs by line/channel/supplier; automate health dashboards and exception alerts.
• Drive process digitalization (workflow, approvals, master‑data hygiene); deploy Lean/Six Sigma methods to remove waste and variability.
• Lead and coach a planning team (4 direct reports) to a high‑performance standard; define roles, objectives, and development plans.
• Foster collaboration across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Logistics, and Service Centers
  
  

Job Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Procurement, Business, Engineering (or related).
• Master’s degree (MBA/Supply Chain/Operations) preferred.
• Professional certifications such as PMP (project management); Lean/Six Sigma advantageous for process optimization and HSSE compliance.
  
  

Experience

• 10+ years’ progressive planning/supply chain experience within automotive distribution/trading/FMCG/retail; proven contract management and cost optimization; leadership across multi‑branch or retail networks; workshop/retail inventory familiarity and HSSE exposure desirable.
• Deep mastery of E2E planning, demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and operational KPIs.
• Knowledge of automotive categories; GCC import/export and customs processes as a plus.
• Proficiency with ERP (SAP) and analytics (Power BI); strong negotiation, risk management,
  
  

At Al Rostamani Group, we seek talented people who work hard to achieve great things. We consider not only your skills and experience, but also your passion for the role, your desire to learn and how well you align with our core values of care, commitment and vision. If this position represents an opportunity you wish to pursue, we invite you to apply.

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