Demand Planning and Freight Forwarding Officer

About the role

HOLDAL is looking for a Demand Planning and Freight Forwarding Officer who will place purchasing orders, track and follow up on import shipments, prepare the documents needed for customs clearance and keep stock levels healthy across all products.

Key responsibilities

• Demand planning: provide forecasting support based on historical sales, market trends and sales input, coordinate with commercial teams to improve the forecast model, and keep master data and ordering parameters accurate.
• Handle purchase orders, negotiate prices and terms with suppliers, and liaise with suppliers to align orders with agreements and inventory targets.
• Inventory optimization: reduce excess stock and shortages, follow up on in-transit goods with commercial teams, and track forecast accuracy, product availability and supplier service level, sharing monthly reports and preparing ABC plan analysis.
• Shipping planning: control freight rates and tenders, choose the best transport mode (sea, air or land) and book and track shipments from suppliers' warehouses to HOLDAL's warehouses, following up on documents and with warehousing on arrivals.
• Clearing operations: prepare shipping documents for the clearing agent, follow up on clearance of shipments at Beirut port/airport, check forwarder and clearing agent invoices against offers, collect insurance claims for losses, and prepare customs documents in time to avoid demurrage and port storage fees.
• Maintain the comparative rates file and the daily freight forwarding file for better visibility and cost optimization.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain or a related field; a Master's degree is a plus.
• CSCP accreditation or similar is a plus.
• 1-3 years of experience in demand planning or purchasing; experience in a distribution company is a plus.
• Knowledge of legislation and factors affecting freight movement.
• Fluent in Arabic and English; French is a plus.

Required skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Organizational, analytical, problem-solving, communication and time management skills.