Summary
Landmark Group is seeking an Assistant Manager, Buying in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The role plans and manages buying for an assigned home retail category, including sales, margins, assortment, pricing, inventory and merchandise delivery. It also covers vendor sourcing and negotiation, market and competitor research, product quality, and team performance. Applicants should be graduates or postgraduates with at least 7 years of relevant experience in the home retail industry.
The posting
As published on landmarkgroup.com. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
ROLE PROFILE / RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Category Growth and Profitability
Drive sales from the assigned category by developing comprehensive category business plans
Drive and monitor gross margins for the category and ensure alignment with the organization’s position, business plan and budgets.
2. Category Merchandise Planning
Prepare annual plans for the assigned category and provide inputs to the Merchandising Development and Buying Head to assist in creation of overall merchandizing budget
Study trends from historical data around product category sales and market research to assist in the overall planning process
Ensure adherence to financial plan in all key areas - sales, markdowns, margin & average inventory
Discuss, decide and freeze the merchandise plans (pricing, promotion, assortment etc.) for the category with the Merchandise Planning department
Ensure effective in season management across territories (stock balancing, markdown management, stock analysis, stock vs sales performance)
3. Category Design and Quality
Ensure optimum utilization of customer research information to guide category management decisions, including decisions on the introduction of new products, product assortment, shelf layout, promotion and pricing of products in the store
Formulate design and development plan in consultation with the Design Head with specifications on product features, functions, packaging and resource requirement across categories
Ensure all design and development activities are carried out within budget
Ensure the merchandise procured and received meets the quality standards
4. Order and Vendor Management
Create an adequate vendor base for the organization through active scouting and negotiation / renegotiation
Responsibilities
Maintain relationships with key vendors who are critical for the long term success of the business
Review the financial and credit services agreement with the key vendors in order to maximize profit and positively contribute to cash flow
Determine buying requirements and formulate buying plan and budget for the assigned category
Monitor Orders based on the buying plan and follow-up to ensure merchandise delivery as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement
Pursue cost reduction measures through centralized bulk buying and/ or selecting appropriate vendor mix, scanning the environment for benchmarks and constantly improving the purchase process
5. People Management
Monitor team development and facilitate complaint resolution
Set KRA's for direct reports and conduct performance appraisal
Oversee staff deployment and drive motivation levels of the direct reportees.
6. Competition Research
Acquiring market intelligence through various sources & analyze trends which may impact our business.
Map competition prices / products and provide qualitative inputs to the business
Qualifications
Qualifications Preferred
Post graduate or Graduate, 7+ years’ of relevant experience in the Home Retail Industry.