Head of Planning - Food | Retail | Marks & Spencer | UAE

About Al-Futtaim Group & Retail Division

Founded in the 1930s, Al-Futtaim Group has grown into a leading diversified private business headquartered in Dubai, operating across automotive, finance, property, retail, and healthcare sectors with a workforce exceeding 35,000 across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Its retail arm represents major global brands including IKEA, ACE, Toys R Us, Inditex group brands, and Marks & Spencer with a portfolio spanning over 75 stores offering food and fashion products, driving innovation and growth in the region.

Role Overview

The Head of Planning role leads the Food Planning function across the MENA & Asia regions, responsible for developing and executing planning strategies, governance structures, and capabilities to maximize business value through the RELEX system. This position ensures optimized forecasting, replenishment, and inventory management across all food categories and markets, fostering consistent planning processes and data-driven improvements to availability, waste reduction, and inventory investment.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee Food Planning operations for MENA & Asia, instituting governance and standardized planning practices.
• Own and leverage RELEX software to enhance business outcomes via accurate forecasting, replenishment, and inventory control.
• Develop and update policies, parameters, and governance frameworks for food category planning.
• Achieve market-leading forecast accuracy and replenishment performance to balance product availability with minimized inventory and waste.
• Lead, coach, and build a high-performing Demand and Replenishment Planning team, focusing on capability growth and succession.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Buying, Supply Chain, Retail Operations, Logistics, Technology, and M&S UK to ensure aligned planning decisions with commercial targets and operational realities.
• Drive innovation, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives using RELEX’s analytics and AI capabilities.
• Track planning KPIs and deliver strategic recommendations to senior leadership to boost commercial and operational performance.

Required Skills and Expertise

• Expertise in advanced demand forecasting methodologies.
• Strong proficiency in replenishment and inventory planning techniques.
• Experience in managing forecast accuracy and planning governance.
• Hands-on knowledge of RELEX or similar AI-driven planning platforms.
• Competence in planning policy development and parameter management.
• Skills in inventory optimization and leveraging data analytics.
• Familiarity with SAP systems alongside Power BI and advanced Excel for reporting.
• Proven stakeholder management capabilities and leadership experience in coaching teams.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and change management aligned with strategic planning and commercial acumen.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in Retail Planning, Supply Chain Planning, or Food Retail environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Management, Retail, Operations Management or a related field is essential.
• MBA or equivalent professional certifications are advantageous.
• Demonstrated leadership of planning, forecasting, or inventory teams, preferably in regional or multi-market contexts.
• Experienced in implementing or operating advanced planning systems, ideally RELEX.
• Proven track record in driving organizational change and planning transformation initiatives.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders across Commercial, Supply Chain, Retail, and Technology domains.

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim Retail is a recognized leader in the retail sector throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, partnering with globally renowned brands and continually expanding its market presence through agility, innovation, and a diverse workforce of over 100 nationalities. The organization promotes talent cultivation and operational excellence to sustain business growth and enrich customer experiences.