Demand Planner (Contract)- Americas

Who We Are

Fuelled by passion, KAYALI was founded in 2018 by beauty mogul and fragrance fanatic, Mona Kattan. Translating to ‘my imagination’ in Arabic, KAYALI provides a modern fragrance experience inspired by Mona’s rich Middle Eastern heritage and the art of layering scents to help you create your mood; where sharing scents is a ritual and smelling good is both an act of goodwill and self-love.

Mona collaborates with some of the world’s most renowned perfumers and sources the finest ingredients to create unique juices that are infinitely memorable, long-lasting, and cruelty-free. Each luxurious fragrance is an ode to true craftsmanship and tells a special story, from the addictive notes to the multi-faceted jewelled bottles.

Our Mission

To make everyone feel like the diamond they are! To build a global community of fragrance lovers through the power of scent and by providing them with the most innovative & luxurious fragrances, education and sharing our Middle Eastern fragrance rituals with the world.

Summary

KAYALI is looking for a highly motivated Demand Planning Assistant Manager to own all aspects of forecasting sales and inventory for KAYALI within the Americas. This person will have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping our strategic initiatives and ensuring successful execution for all planning processes. In addition to the duties in Planning, the position offers exciting exposure to Sales, Finance, Supply Chain / Inventory Management and Customer Service, and an opportunity to implement innovative solutions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Planning lead for the Americas business. Accountable for the forecasting workstream, stock management & service delivery.
• Actively participate in the monthly S&OP process, representing the demand signal and driving alignment between Sales, Marketing, and Supply Planning
• Track and report forecast accuracy and bias (e.g., MAPE) by SKU/category, identifying root causes and driving continuous improvement
• Own and maintain demand planning systems and master data (e.g., FuturMaster) to ensure forecast integrity and process efficiency
• Partner with Finance to align demand forecasts with financial planning cycles (AOP, budget, and latest estimates)
• Lead monthly Demand Review overviews presenting demand forecast and supporting needs to Global Supply Chain / Demand Planning teams highlighting areas of opportunity and variances to last submission
• Forecast inventory and ensure proper inventory levels are maintained by consistently reviewing weeks of supply, sell through, and trend
• Build out successful sales/inventory launch planning models for expansion within the Americas to help support brand awareness.
• Build a demand forecast at the SKU level for the coming 24 months that includes all future marketing, social media plans, and retailer activations
• Maintain quality and consistency of key forecast changes and Risks & Opportunities
• Partner with retail counterparts to co-create forecasts and buys and align on monthly OTB forecasts
• Partner with retail counterparts to build and manage obsolescence / liquidation strategies
• Analyze retailer inventory and sales to create and maintain annual RTV budget by Retailer/Brand
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with cross-functional teams and cross-channel teams
• Work closely with the Global Supply Planning team to include new trends into inventory planning
• Analyze forecast accuracy issues and build forecast accuracy action plans across the organization
• Manage internal Budget from a demand (sell in) / inventory management perspective to aid in achieving company sales targets and operating profits.
• Conduct scenario and what-if planning for promotions, new product launches, and seasonal demand shifts to stress-test the forecast
• Lead exception-based forecast reviews, flagging abnormal demand signals and revising forecasts accordingly
• Support new product introduction (NPI) forecasting, including cannibalization and phase-in/phase-out analysis
• Collaborate with Supply Planning to ensure demand plans translate into feasible production and replenishment plans
• Present demand planning insights and recommendations to senior leadership as part of the monthly S&OP cycle
• Additional projects as required

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in Demand Planning, Inventory Planning, Inventory Analysis, Merchandise Planning, Replenishment Analysis, Supply Chain Planner, or related field, ideally working in the beauty or FMCG space
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Statistics, Finance or related field
• Sephora experience a plus
• Experience with FuturMaster is an advantage
• Ability to manage/mine data from multiple sources to create forecast, analyze, prepare statistical reports
• Highly analytical with an aptitude for interpreting and utilizing data to improve and propose change
• Strong organizational and time management skills; able to handle multiple priorities
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with keen attention to detail
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, forecasting functions); experience with BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau a plus
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate data into actionable insights for senior stakeholders
• Experience presenting to and influencing senior leadership and cross-functional partners