Al-Futtaim Hiring for Senior Buyer -Home & DIY Job at Dubai Full Time

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 Arab 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 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; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

Overview of the role

The Product Manager is responsible for achieving all the goals & targets relating to merchandise, i.e. range planning and assortment, range structure, number of articles, width and depth of the range, sales targets, pricing and gross margins, number of suppliers, negotiation & trading terms, assortment planning, planogram cycle, and implementation of the promotional/seasonal strategy of the business across all territories. They will work in tandem with the Category Head and other Product Managers to build the assortment and achieve the business goals.

Required to work cross functionally across departments to forecast the needs of the business and make decisions based on customer and market trends and sales, ensuring high levels of newness is constantly being introduced while managing effective inventory and stock controls.

The Product Manager should be analytically minded, sales and customer driven, possessing good negotiating skills to secure the best prices according to budget with a good knowledge of sales and marketing principles in order to drive the commercial objectives.

With a background in purchasing and supply chain management, the candidate will take a proactive approach in reviewing the commercial offer, making recommendations and implementing changes. The role will have a clear project focus, supporting the business function at a strategic level to achieve budget goals and new range development.

What you will do

Range Selection

• All merchandise ‘planning’ follows the “think/plan/buy/move and sell” principle ensuring the process is adhered to at all times.
• Merchandise assortments follow the good/better/best principle.
• Ensures that ‘Category Management’, encompassing the above, through to in-store Planograms & layouts are followed and adheres to the process
• Sets the Product Category range priorities in accordance with the overall merchandise strategy and is agreed with the Head of Category and GM.
• Keeps updated about local market conditions and requirements in each territory, such as “taste levels”, developing trends, competitor growth & customer buying habits as well as product acceptability. All these factors are used to ultimately arrive at a decision regarding range selection and the width & depth of the different product areas within the range.
• Ensures the range is selected, priced & delivered, taking account of the product lifecycle as well as our supply chain and warehousing capabilities.
• Maintaining 96% in-store product availability on 4,500 ‘A’ lines (approx 65% of sales)

Product Forecast and Merchandise Management

• Maintains ongoing communication with the ACE Regional Warehouses (Shanghai and Jebel Ali, as well as the ACE RSC in Long Beach, California), regarding all issues related to the ‘ACE sourced’ product range & product forecasts.
• Ensures that sales forecasts are adapted to sales patterns in order to achieve an optimal goods flow.
• Works closely with the 3PL partner & Planning & Business Analytics. Reviews performance of merchandise, plans vs. actual, viability of a particular item, stock cover etc. Based on analysis raises awareness of any product that may not be performing and plans for promotions, price cuts etc. Also identifies ‘best sellers’ and ensures that stock cover for these is adequate & reflects sales projections.
• Ensures that product newness is maintained, i.e. that new products are introduced in a timely manner and discontinued ranges are cleared in an effective manner through part sale and other ‘clearance’ or promotional activities thereby ensuring that the aged stock profile & ‘quality’ of stock is kept to a minimum.
• Ensures the OTB is set and managed and whether it is being operated by the buying or store teams is always in line with expectations.
• Ensures the ‘Promotional Strategy’ is delivered, with the target sell through being achieved and has a full understanding of how they’ll deliver the promotional buying brief.

Gross Margin Management

• Sets the pricing strategy for the ACE category range in each territory and guarantees re-enforcement of the ‘ACE Value’ perception building items, when setting prices of the ACE range.
• Sets overall guidelines for margin exploitation by product area and ensures processes are established to analyse margin deviation. Is primarily responsible for the periodic Gross Profit Simulation exercise for each territory to make sure that pricing delivers the margin/ profit goals agreed…
• Maintains a strategic communication link with ACE International regarding all matters relating to costs.
• Evaluates the pricing of the total range prior to the ‘season’ start, ensuring prices are in line with set targets and market conditions.
• Achieve cost benefits throughout the supply chain by taking strategic buying decisions.
• Additionally has the responsibility to make certain that overall margin goals are met irrespective of clearance sale and promotional activities. Manages the ‘blended’ margin.

Supply Chain Management

• Works closely with the Demand Planning & Business Analytics team in defining, establishing and developing the supply chain operation i.e. as in realising benefits in sourcing directly from suppliers as opposed to the Regional Distribution Center in Jebel Ali & USA.
• Ensures that all objectives/ metrics are delivered including quality, quantity, cycle time and cost through development and execution of strategic and tactical initiatives.
• Works with the Planning & Business Analytics teams in planning the flow of merchandise for ACE in line with the overall volume goals set and with the purpose of maintaining stock as per requirements of the business.
• Maps the ordering process, the frequency of placing re-orders, and the use of warehousing facilities in a manner that the handling costs are kept to the lowest and lead times of the products are optimized.
• Optimises all the benefits of SAP ECC6 and ensures that the ‘system’ is allowed to operate unhindered.
• All merchandise ordering is ‘managed’ by SAP whether local/domestic or import, based on ‘rules’ agreed and set by the JH.
• Has responsibility for category stock availability at country level.

Supplier/Vendor Management

• Decides the budget goals for suppliers at country level.
• Has total accountability in agreeing (with Head of Category) and setting supplier numbers
• Ensures that supplier measures are incorporated into supplier management & that ‘Trading Terms’ are negotiated and are in place for all chosen (approved) suppliers.
• Ensures that (as part of negotiations) faulty goods/swell allowances are in place as well as all forms of ‘margin support’
• Accountable for supplier capability assessments
• Maps the ‘Value Chain’, i.e. “Where does the money go?”/”Who has control?”/”Are there too many intermediaries (agents, distributors, etc.)?”/”Is there unnecessary product handling?” (want clean flow, especially for high volume sku’s)/”What’s the country of origin?”/”Should I be negotiating with someone else?” etc.
• Acts with integrity to ensure that all suppliers are complaint in all Al Futtaim ethical and sourcing practices.

Business Development

• Plays a key role in the construction of merchandise assortment plans by country. During the pre-project & project stages plays a key role in the following activities:
  • Analyse the feasibility of the product range that can be sold and safeguards that the products are tested and in line with local legislation

  • Detailed competitor & market analysis

  • Study to guarantee compliance with import regulations

  • Brand positioning

  • Decides the pricing strategy & gross margin goals

  • Oversees the merchandise ordering & flow lines

  • Specifies the changes required in SAP to cater to new country requirements.

System development & Co-ordination with different functions

• Plays a vital role in developing and maintaining system processes relating to the buying & supply chain elements of SAP.
• Together with the Category Head and ACE Marketing Manager defines the commercial activities/ plans for the ACE business and ensures 100% availability of all selected product as per the marketing schedule.
• Plays a key role in the SAP and BI ‘reporting’ development in collaboration with Retail IT/STS.
• Plays a ‘driving’ role in developing the yearly “Outdoor” and “DIY” catalogues for the local markets, ensures that availability meets targets for catalogue launch.
• Works closely with the Operations Manager to secure the optimal range presentation in all stores.
• Facilitates the close interaction of the Buying team with the store teams to ensure that commercial priorities and feedback is ongoing.

Required skills to be successful

• Planning
• Organisation & Negotiation
• Supply chain management
• Merchandise management
• Good working knowledge of SAP
• High level of computer literacy and working knowledge of the logic and design of external data information platforms.

What equips you for the role

• 3 years’ experience within a buying/purchasing/category management function
• Candidates with experience in DIY / Home improvement will be preferred

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim 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 Spencer’s 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…