Allocation Manager

📊 We're Hiring: Allocation Manager📍 Location: United Arab Emirates (Remote) 🕒 Employment Type: Full-Time 💼 Experience Level: Mid-Level to Senior 🌐 Work Arrangement: Fully RemoteAbout UsWe are a data-driven organization focused on optimizing the allocation of products, inventory, resources, capacity, and operational assets across markets, locations, channels, and business units.Our distributed teams collaborate across Allocation, Merchandising, Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, Sales, Finance, Operations, and Commercial Strategy to ensure the right resources are available in the right place, at the right time, and at the right level.The RoleWe are seeking an experienced Allocation Manager to lead allocation planning, inventory distribution, replenishment, demand balancing, stock optimization, and allocation strategy across relevant markets, stores, channels, warehouses, or business units.The ideal candidate will combine strong analytical capabilities with commercial judgment, forecasting knowledge, inventory-management expertise, and cross-functional leadership.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and implement allocation strategies aligned with sales, inventory, profitability, and customer-service objectives.Determine optimal allocation of products, inventory, materials, capacity, or other resources across locations and channels.Translate demand forecasts and business plans into detailed allocation requirements.Analyze historical sales, inventory, demand, customer behavior, seasonality, promotions, and market trends.Allocate inventory based on demand, store or channel capacity, sales potential, inventory availability, and commercial priorities.Establish allocation rules, thresholds, priorities, and replenishment parameters.Balance inventory availability against working-capital and excess-stock objectives.Monitor inventory levels across stores, warehouses, channels, regions, and business units.Identify stock shortages, overstock, slow-moving inventory, and inventory imbalances.Develop recommendations for stock transfers, replenishment, reallocation, markdowns, or other corrective actions.Optimize inventory positioning to improve availability and reduce unnecessary transfers and carrying costs.Monitor sell-through rates and adjust allocation plans based on actual performance.Analyze product performance by SKU, category, location, channel, region, customer segment, or other relevant dimensions.Identify high-performing products and ensure sufficient inventory availability.Identify underperforming products and prevent unnecessary inventory accumulation.Support new-product launches by developing initial allocation plans.Determine launch quantities using sales forecasts, market potential, store profiles, historical analogues, and inventory constraints.Monitor new-product performance and adjust allocations after launch.Support seasonal allocation planning for peak periods, promotional campaigns, holidays, and major commercial events.Develop allocation strategies for promotional and markdown periods.Coordinate allocation of limited or constrained inventory across competing markets or channels.Establish prioritization frameworks for scarce inventory.Work closely with Demand Planning and Supply Planning teams to align allocation plans with supply availability.Monitor supplier lead times, purchase orders, inbound shipments, production schedules, and expected inventory receipts.Adjust allocation plans in response to supply delays, shortages, cancellations, or unexpected demand changes.Coordinate with Warehousing and Logistics teams to ensure allocated inventory can be delivered within required timelines.Optimize distribution schedules and minimize unnecessary inventory movements.Monitor inter-location transfers and assess their cost and commercial benefit.Develop transfer recommendations based on demand, stock levels, inventory aging, and sales potential.Work with Merchandising, Product, Sales, and Commercial teams to understand business priorities.Incorporate commercial strategies, promotional plans, product launches, and customer commitments into allocation decisions.Collaborate with Finance to understand margin, working-capital, inventory-value, and profitability implications.Monitor allocation performance against financial and commercial targets.Develop allocation forecasts and scenario models to support business decisions.Conduct what-if analysis for supply constraints, demand changes, new locations, channel expansion, and promotional events.Develop and maintain allocation models, tools, dashboards, and reporting systems.Use advanced Excel and analytical tools to manage complex allocation datasets.Utilize ERP, inventory-management, merchandise-planning, and supply-chain systems effectively.Leverage BI, statistical forecasting, optimization, and automation tools to improve allocation decisions.Evaluate opportunities to use artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in inventory allocation.Establish allocation KPIs and performance dashboards.Monitor allocation accuracy, inventory availability, stockouts, overstocks, sell-through, and transfer efficiency.Analyze allocation performance and identify root causes of underperformance.Conduct regular post-season and post-campaign allocation reviews.Develop recommendations to improve future allocation strategies.Maintain accurate allocation master data, store profiles, SKU attributes, inventory parameters, and planning assumptions.Ensure allocation data and system configurations are accurate and up to date.Establish appropriate allocation controls and approval processes.Monitor allocation exceptions and ensure they are resolved promptly.Identify opportunities to automate repetitive allocation processes and reduce manual intervention.Develop standardized allocation procedures, guidelines, and documentation.Support continuous improvement of inventory-planning and distribution processes.Prepare management reports and executive presentations covering inventory allocation, performance, risks, and recommendations.Communicate allocation decisions and changes clearly to relevant stakeholders.Lead cross-functional allocation meetings and planning reviews.Coordinate multiple allocation cycles, products, locations, and business priorities simultaneously.Lead, coach, and mentor Allocation Analysts, Planners, or Specialists where applicable.Establish performance standards and promote a culture of analytical decision-making, accountability, commercial awareness, and continuous improvement.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Performance will be measured through a combination of inventory, commercial, planning, and operational KPIs, including:Inventory availabilityStockout rateSell-through rateInventory turnoverInventory daysAllocation accuracyForecast-to-allocation accuracyExcess inventorySlow-moving inventoryInventory agingFull-price sell-throughGross-margin performanceTransfer frequencyTransfer costReplenishment efficiencyOrder fulfillment rateNew-product allocation performancePromotional allocation performanceInventory productivityWorking-capital efficiencyAllocation-plan adherenceCandidate ProfileThe successful candidate should have strong experience in allocation, merchandise planning, inventory planning, supply chain, demand planning, replenishment, or a closely related discipline.Experience managing allocations across multiple stores, warehouses, countries, sales channels, product categories, or business units would be highly advantageous.The candidate should combine analytical rigor with commercial judgment and the ability to make timely decisions when inventory and supply are constrained.What You'll BringProven experience in allocation, merchandise planning, inventory planning, replenishment, demand planning, or supply chain.Strong understanding of inventory allocation and distribution principles.Experience analyzing sales, inventory, demand, and product-performance data.Strong knowledge of forecasting, replenishment, and inventory optimization.Excellent Excel skills, including advanced formulas, pivot tables, data analysis, and modeling.Experience with ERP, inventory-management, merchandise-planning, or supply-chain systems.Experience with BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau is advantageous.Knowledge of SQL, Python, statistical forecasting, or optimization techniques is advantageous.Strong commercial awareness and understanding of sales, margins, inventory value, and profitability.Ability to make allocation decisions using quantitative and qualitative information.Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.Excellent communication and stakeholder-management abilities.Ability to manage multiple SKUs, locations, channels, deadlines, and competing priorities.Strong attention to detail and data accuracy.Proactive, organized, commercially minded, and results-oriented.Ability to work independently and effectively within a fully remote environment.Relevant degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Statistics, Merchandising, or a related discipline.Professional certifications in supply chain, inventory management, planning, or analytics are advantageous.Experience working with UAE or wider GCC markets is highly desirable.