General Manager | Retail | Fashion

Job Requisition ID: 161556

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United A”rab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organisation to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day.

Overview Of The Role

Strategically lead the Fashion Division to be profitable and sustainable while leveraging human capital to achieve the organizational goals and business strategy. Knowledgeably lead the digital transformation agenda in the Fashion Division with the aim of streamline of processes and making use of technologies to enhance their interaction with customers and employees, and deliver excellent customer experience at the same time. This needs to consider the changing business and markets requirements in MENA countries. Accountable for evaluating business trends, determining applicability, and modifying business strategies accordingly. Lead the strategic implementation of mergers and acquisition transitions if any. The job holder will be responsible for 7 countries, 138 stores, total headcount of 703 and Net sales budget – AED 631.1M (annual). The job holder will be responsible for expansion plan of Hugo Boss in KSA, Ted Baker in Kuwait and Kiabi in UAE. The job holder will have direct accountability & responsibility on the overall P&L of the whole Fashion vertical with the diversity between value brands, bridge brands and to be able to manage the diverse brand principals and managing the relations and networks which can be challenging due to the difference of DNA in each Fashion brand.

What You Will Do

General Outline

• Define and prioritize key strategic objectives in coordination with partners throughout the organization to provide decision support through high quality business forecasting, operations and analytics processes.
• Manage strong professional relationships with team members, brands managers, Key Stakeholders and Brand Principals.
• Create highly sophisticated analytical frameworks and functional models to forecast the business and provide recommendations for solving key business problems.
• Develop and maintain KPIs and business dashboards to enable performance management and facilitate accountability.
• Deliver timely, accurate and effective analysis and reporting of financial & operational performance to executive and senior management.
• Ensure reports provide actionable insight into the levers of the business.
• Track performance relative to budgets, schedules, milestones and performance targets.
• Plan and maximize the sales and profit contribution of the Fashion Brands in MENA
• Effectively build and manage operating budgets, P&L and manage KPIs of the same.
• Develop annual regional business plan to reflect the brand positioning, negotiate key aspects of the planned delivery with the brand in each regional market.
• Strategize and implement regional brand communication needs in keeping with the integrity of the brand and regional appeal.
• Maximize turnover by ensuring accurate, timely and commercial sales planning and forecasting.
• Monitoring and maintaining brand profitability of the business lines by management of full price and markdown sales, intake margins, levels of markdown activity and terminal stock.
• Direct the development of operating standards, policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with all laws and company guidelines.
• Lead to ensure effective inventory management system for all business lines within the Group guidelines.
• Managing support functions such as Operations, Process & Compliance, Marketing, Planning, Supply Chain, Wholesale within the company.
• Initiate weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual business reviews with the Head of Departments, Brand Managers and Operations Managers.
• Conducting on-site meetings with management team members on stores’ performance.
  
  

Store Profitability and Productivity

• Develop the location’s expense and sales budgets in consultation with Finance.
• Deliver sales and profitability targets. Execute strategies, initiatives and staffing levels are within budgetary guidelines and scheduling is within manpower cost.
• Actively partners with VP – Asia & Fashion MENA, Robinsons and Watsons MENA, HR Business Partner, Head of Operations, Brand Managers, Planning Manager, Country Managers and Marketing teams to influence and execute strategies to drive sales and profitability.
• Sets store selling and productivity plans to achieve or exceed customer penetration and spend targets and grow market share.
• Responds to changing business conditions in order to deliver sound financial results.
• Minimize stock losses through effective management oversight of stock control practices and security procedures.
• Organize strategies and tactics to build the lease business including working with the product, marketing and HR teams as appropriate on events, training, mystery shoppers, NPS and store layouts.
• Builds strong relationships with Fashion Brand Principals.
• Maintain keen awareness of competitor movements and market performance.
  
  

Product, Visual Merchandising, Marketing

• Oversee the regional events calendar for positive brand building through promotional activities.
• Partner with Brand to develop seasonal marketing and PR strategies.
• Ensure the Brands heads are delivering accurate feedback on product needs in respective market.
• Ensure via Operations Managers all stores & stock rooms are in line with the brand standards.
  
  

Digital

• Ensure brands have a digital roadmap strategy.
• Strategize to activate the stock integration project to maximize online sales.
  
  

Leadership

• Provide coaching, counselling and direction to direct reports to ensure their continued professional growth and development.
• To conduct staff appraisal and quarterly performance review with Brand Heads & functions.
• To improve staff morale leading to positive and dynamic working attitude and environment.
• To maintain general and acceptable staff working conditions.
• To support all Brand Managers to maintain productivity and retail operational standards in areas of work performance and sales.
  
  

Team & Service Management

• Partners with other senior management to develop short and long-term strategies and is responsible for implementing those strategies.
• Effectively communicate company overall KPIs and how each country stores’ sales targets and strategies support achievement of Fashion business objectives and KPIs. Ensure country stores’ management team achieve their KPIs and remain focused on overall business strategies. Review progress on a regular basis.
• Create and promote a positive work environment in line with company’s values, employee related policies, practices and local environment considerations. Provide effective team leadership through open communication, training, coaching and active encouragement of direct reports and the team to meet or exceed location sales and profitability targets, while role modelling the desired behaviours.
• Ensure a development plan is in place and actively reviewed for all management and potential management team members.
• Ensure the management team consistently coaches its staff with a focus on enhancing the customer experience. For Sales teams, in addition to service levels, it must include continual improvement and refinement of sales techniques and product knowledge.
  
  

Required Skills

Required skills to be successful

• Digital Transformation and change management skills
• Holds strategic vision and strong business acumen
• Engaging & influential: A real go-getter who can work autonomously with others and builds strong relationships to achieve positive results. Has the ability to coach, mentor and act as a role model to the team.
• Attention to Detail: Analytical with effective problem-solving skills & and is able to think strategically in any decision-making process.
• Professional, positive & displays Integrity: Communicates openly, transparently & confidently across a wide variety of internal & external audiences. Ability to interact cross functionally with peers and senior leaders to achieve beneficial business results.
• Highly organized: Strong prioritization, time management & organizational skills, also has the ability to delegate and organize others.
• Fast & Flexible: Proactive & responsive with the foresight to anticipate & the ability to react positively in a fast-paced, changing environment and operating with the best interests of the company at all times and in line with the company values.
• Customer Focused: Passion for customer service, champions customer experience and brand engagement through all touch points.
• Merchandise: Can make logical commercial decisions based on customer demand whilst maintaining brand integrity and merchandising direction.
  
  

Role

What equips you for the role

• Proven track record of 10-15 years in General management of Brands & business units
• Significant people management and development achievements
• Proven planning and organizational skills
• Proven record of attaining and exceeding sales targets and KPIs
• Retailing experience must include fashion related products
  
  

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Before you click “apply”: Please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global Talent Acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our Values of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence.

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