Demand Planning Specialist

About the Role 

Imagine this. You are at the center of how demand turns into real-world production, materials, capacity, and delivery across a fast-moving aerospace and defense environment. As our Demand Planning Specialist, you will build and maintain an integrated demand plan that connects customer contracts, programs, production, sustainment, and lifecycle requirements, giving our teams the visibility they need to anticipate what is coming and act before constraints become problems. 

This position can initially be performed remotely from Dubai, with a preference for candidates based in or willing to be closer to Abu Dhabi as the role and our operations in the region develop. 

At Destinus, we are revolutionizing the defense industry with cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Our innovative technologies are designed to meet the unique demands of modern defense operations, delivering unparalleled speed, precision, and cost effectiveness. Destinus partners with government agencies and defense organizations worldwide to provide advanced solutions for mission-critical operations, enabling a new era of efficiency and technological superiority. Join us in shaping the future of defense with groundbreaking aerospace innovations. 

What You’ll Do 

• Develop and maintain short, medium, and long-term demand forecasts across products, programs, systems, spare parts, and services 

• Consolidate demand inputs from customer contracts, purchase orders, program schedules, Sales, Business Development, Program Management, and maintenance activities into one reliable demand picture 

• Play a key role in the monthly S&OP and IBP process, preparing forecasts, dashboards, management reports, scenarios, and insights that support better decision-making 

• Work closely with Program Management to translate program milestones, production schedules, deliveries, upgrades, maintenance, sustainment, and lifecycle requirements into the demand plan 

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule and production plans, balancing demand with capacity, material availability, resources, and delivery commitments 

• Partner with Supply Planning, Procurement, Operations, and Engineering to identify long-lead materials, critical components, capacity constraints, and potential shortages before they impact execution 

• Support inventory planning by balancing demand against stock levels, safety stocks, service requirements, component criticality, and customer readiness 

• Track and improve Forecast Accuracy, Forecast Bias, Forecast Error, Demand Plan Stability, Service Level, and Inventory Performance 

• Investigate significant forecast variances, identify root causes, and turn findings into practical improvements to our planning processes 

• Maintain accurate planning data across ERP, MRP, and advanced planning systems and build clear analytical reports using Excel, Power BI, or equivalent tools 

• Identify and escalate demand-related risks that could impact customer commitments, program milestones, operational readiness, or supply continuity 

• Ensure planning activities meet company policies, contractual commitments, quality requirements, and information-security standards 

What You’ll Need 

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, Economics, Statistics, or a related discipline 

• Around 3 to 7 years of experience in demand planning, supply planning, S&OP, IBP, materials planning, production planning, or program planning 

• Strong understanding of forecasting, inventory planning, MRP, procurement, master scheduling, and broader supply chain processes 

• Hands-on experience working with ERP, MRP, or advanced planning systems 

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and confidence working with large datasets and complex planning scenarios 

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into clear operational actions 

• Experience with Power BI or equivalent reporting and visualization tools is highly valued 

• Experience within aerospace, defense, aviation, complex manufacturing, or government contracting is a strong advantage 

• Experience managing long-lead-time, project-based, intermittent, or spare-parts demand is a plus 

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work across Program Management, Business Development, Sales, Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Supply Planning, Logistics, Finance, Quality, and Sustainment 

Who You Are 

You are analytical without getting stuck in the numbers. You understand that a forecast only matters when it helps teams make better decisions. You are comfortable challenging assumptions, spotting risks early, and bringing structure to complex and constantly changing demand. You enjoy working across teams, take ownership of problems, and stay focused when priorities move quickly. Most importantly, you are someone who wants to build better planning processes rather than simply maintain existing ones.