Buying Coordinator

Buying CoordinatorLocation: Dubai Investments Park 2, DubaiEmployment Type: Full-time, On-siteAbout the GroupKreol Group is a global consumer goods organisation specialising in channel-focused distribution, brand development and retail operations across the GCC, greater Middle East/West Asia, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.Our businesses operate across travel retail, modern trade and e-commerce, supported by capabilities in logistics, warehousing, merchandising, marketing and retail management.About the DivisionKreol Travel Retail is a multi-category distributor serving airport duty-free operators and other travel retail subchannels across the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.Our portfolio spans confectionery, food, fragrances, personal care and travel accessories, representing international and regional brands across a diverse network of markets and retail partners.About the RoleWe are looking for a Buying Coordinator to manage the day-to-day supplier-side and buying activities behind our travel retail portfolio. You will follow brands and products throughout their commercial lifecycle, from supplier agreements and initial pricing through listings, forecasting, purchasing, inventory management, supplier reviews and claims.You will be expected to understand how products are performing, determine when and how much we should reorder, maintain healthy inventory levels and ensure that commercial matters with our brand partners are followed through systematically.The role is primarily supplier-facing, working closely with our commercial, sales, finance and operations teams.What You’ll DoMaintain custodianship of supplier and distribution agreements, including a tracker of key commercial terms, renewal dates, expiry dates and outstanding contractual actions.Prepare concise summary trackers of important commercial terms including territories, channels, margins, payment terms, marketing commitments and other supplier obligations.Coordinate agreement renewals and amendments with management, suppliers and relevant internal stakeholders.Support the onboarding of new brands, products and SKUs and maintain accurate supplier, product and commercial master data.Take custodianship of entering both vendor and product master data correctly into our ERP and updating it when there are any changes to be made.Prepare initial product pricing and value-chain calculations, including purchase cost, applicable logistics costs, margins and proposed selling prices, for subsequent review and validation by our commercial manager.Maintain current supplier price lists, cost changes and relevant commercial conditions both in organized digital folders and physical files as well.Maintain a listing matrix showing where each brand and SKU has been presented, listed and supplied across our customers and markets.Monitor SKU-level sales, stock-on-hand, customer demand and listing performance to understand how products are progressing after launch.Develop practical demand forecasts using historical sales, current run rates, customer forecasts, seasonality, promotions, new listings and market intelligence.Determine appropriate reorder quantities and purchase timing based on demand, available stock, incoming stock, lead times, MOQs and supplier constraints.Raise and follow up purchase orders with suppliers and ensure orders are placed sufficiently in advance to avoid preventable stock-outs.Coordinate the inbound supply cycle with suppliers and coordinate with logistics partners, including order readiness, shipment planning, documentation and expected arrival dates.Monitor warehouse inventory including stock cover, ageing, slow-moving inventory, short-dated products and potential expiry exposure.Proactively highlight overstock, ageing and expiry risks early enough for commercial action to be taken rather than after inventory becomes problematic.Share regular sales, stock and performance information with brand partners and vendors.Organise and prepare for periodic supplier performance reviews covering sales performance, forecasts, stock, listings, new opportunities, commercial matters, marketing activities, new product development and outstanding actions.Maintain clear action trackers following supplier meetings and ensure agreed actions are followed through to closure.Coordinate with brands on marketing support, promotional activities and agreed commercial investments.Track and raise supplier claims including promotional expenditure, marketing support, damages, shortages, price differences and other recoverable amounts in a timely manner.Follow outstanding claims, credit notes and supplier commitments through to resolution in coordination with Finance.Coordinate new product introductions and product changes with suppliers, ensuring relevant commercial information, pricing, samples and product data are received internally.Maintain buying and supplier-management reports that give the business clear visibility over upcoming orders, inventory risks, supplier actions and commercial opportunities.Continuously improve buying, forecasting and inventory-management processes using ERP data and structured reporting.Any other vendor-related coordination tasksWho You Should BeBachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Commerce or a related field.Ideally 2–4 years of experience in buying, procurement, replenishment, demand planning, category coordination or supplier management.Experience within FMCG, CPG, retail, distribution or another SKU-intensive environment is strongly preferred.Comfortable analysing sales and inventory data and turning it into purchasing decisions.Able to forecast demand and understand concepts such as stock cover, lead time, MOQ, reorder quantities, ageing and inventory turnover.Strong Microsoft Excel skills and confidence working with large product and sales datasets.Experience working with ERP systems; Odoo experience is an advantage.Commercially minded and able to understand pricing, margins and supplier terms rather than simply processing transactions.Strong organisational and follow-up skills, with the ability to manage multiple brands, suppliers, SKUs and outstanding actions simultaneously.Confident communicating with suppliers and conducting structured follow-ups and performance reviews.Detail-oriented, analytical and proactive in identifying problems before they affect sales or inventory.Able to work effectively in a fast-moving, multi-brand and multi-market environment.Comfortable commuting to DIP 2 dailyComfortable working half-days on Saturday