Head of Buying - Clothing and Home - Al-Futtaim

Established in the 1930s as a trading business AlFuttaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive financial services real estate retail and healthcare; employing more than 35000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East Asia and Africa AlFuttaim Group partners with over 200 of the worlds most admired and innovative brands. AlFuttaim Groups entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization 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; AlFuttaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

Overview of the role

The Head of Clothing Buying and Merchandising will be the visionary leader shaping the customer experience across seven dynamic markets with 50 stores. This role involves extensive travel to our MENA markets and the UK for seasonal buying fairs contributing to the strategic commercial planning prebuying and responsive market adaptation.

Role Challenges and Opportunities: Navigate the intricacies of commercial trading planning maintain agility in response to market changes and influence strategic thinking to bring the right products to our diverse markets.

Team and Reporting Structure: Lead a dynamic team of 29 with direct reports comprising four individuals. Collaboration with crossfunctional departments is pivotal and a newly created role for Space Planning Cataloguing and Grading Manager adds a unique dimension to our team.

Marks & Spencer MENA currently operates in 7 Markets: UAE Kuwait Qatar Bahrain Egypt Lebanon and Oman. Candidate must be able to travel to the above Markets plus to the UK to attend Seasonal Buying Fairs.

Company Culture and Values: At Marks and Spencer we prioritize cultural alignment with values centered around Inspiration Innovation In Touch and Integrity.

What you will do

Your success will be measured by delivering the buying and sales plan implementing effective succession planning formulating business unit strategy utilizing prompt data and AI for optimal product placement and launching brand propositions effectively by:

Formulating an annual business plan that aligns with customer preferences.

Constantly seeking business opportunities to increase Sales and Cash Margin.

Leading and managing Senior Merchandizers in planning appropriate Sales Cash Margin and Space.

Ensuring effective OTB planning and eCommerce Buy.

Defining and communicating the strategy for the Core Template to drive Core Availability.

Overseeing Core Stock Fashion Newness and controlled Markdown Spend.

Planning managing and leading the team for the UK Buying Fairs.

Implementing a strategic buying approach and optimizing market opportunities.

Guiding and leading the Senior Merchandising team in utilizing trade planning tools.

Ensuring effective communication and execution of promotional strategies.

Establishing market awareness by monitoring competitor performance and trends.

Engaging in quarterly comp shops and market visits to drive a competitive price position.

Building strong relationships with Finance M&S Operations Team VM Team and Marketing Team.

Engaging with key stakeholders to drive BU objectives and conducting engaging seasonal briefs.

Engaging the team with relevant objectives and providing continuous feedback and development opportunities.

Role modeling AlFuttaim Way Behaviors and M&S Values ensuring a high engagement score and succession plan.

Candidate Profile:

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum 10 years experience in Fashion Buying and Merchandising.
• Generalist retail experience in both clothing and home retail.
• Strong brand principles and collaboration skills.
• Experience in people succession planning.
• Understanding of customer market demographics.

Key Competencies and Soft Skills:

• Proven leadership and team management in a retail merchandising environment.
• Strategic thinker with a track record of achieving KPIs.
• Cultural alignment with Marks and Spencers values.
• Ability to navigate commercial trading complexities.

Additional Requirements: Language proficiency international experience and cultural awareness are critical for the role. Previous experience with Marks and Spencer is a plus.

About AlFuttaim Retail

AlFuttaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara Mango Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencers in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options.

Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries. Join us today and make a difference