UAEN Regional Sales & Range Leader | Retail | IKEA RSO Jebel Ali

Job Requisition ID: 177693 

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:
The Regional Sales & Range Leader is a pivotal role within the IKEA Retail Division, responsible for driving sales and optimizing the product range across various home furnishing Business Areas. The role entails setting and achieving sales and gross margin goals as determined by regional commercial management. As a central figure in the sales structure, the leader is expected to maintain in-depth market knowledge and implement strategies that align with IKEA's global and local business plans. This role demands a thorough understanding of IKEA products, market trends, and consumer needs, alongside strategic coordination with Logistics, Marketing, and store teams to promote a seamless and profitable product offering.

What You Will Do:

• Contribute actively in the development and implementation of a clear IKEA Sales & Range action plan for the stores using the store business plan and country business plan.
• Stay in weekly contact and support the shopkeepers in the stores.
• Select and ensure the availability of products for all marketing activities in the commercial calendar, in close partnership with the Logistics department.
• Support stores by producing buying guides for complex product series.
• Coordinate all issues regarding the IKEA range between stores and central retail management and between central retail management and the IKEA distributor.
• Set prices on the IKEA range in cooperation with store sales managers and apply guidelines stated in IKEA Concept Documentation.
• Make sales budgets for the IKEA range.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of the local home furnishings market, trends, and competitors.
• Promote alternative products when top-selling products are unavailable and ensure they are available and clearly communicated.
• Ensure that systems and methods stated in IKEA Concept Documentation are implemented in all stores.
• Drive the annual plan for Sales & Range in the business area as a matrix manager for shopkeepers.
• Periodically source relevant ranges locally and handle local suppliers through Iway code of conduct.
• Strive to reach IKEA positioning objectives and maximize long-term profit by applying sales methods.
• Perform all range administration in the sales IT-system for products in your Business Area.
• Coordinate with the PR&C team to ensure all suppliers and COO are registered to avoid any gaps in the range.
• Monitor range availability to achieve the agreed goals.
• Coordinate with the catalogue production team within Marketing for timely inputs regarding pricing details and strategic product placement.
• Support store shopkeepers to conduct competitor analysis and take appropriate actions.
• Commit to the development of the sales team and secure their training to ensure co-workers understand the IKEA Concept and their role impact.
• Empower, support, and coach sales co-workers on the job to improve their performance and growth.
• Work actively to create an environment where the IKEA culture and diversity are valued.
• Ensure straightforward internal communication and information flow.
• Work closely with Sales Manager to identify and spot potential successors for the shopkeepers.

Required Skills To Be Successful:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical and mathematical abilities to handle workload.
• Ability to work well in teams and foster an environment of diversity and inclusion.
• Must be computer literate and able to build effective working relationships.

What Qualifies You For The Role:

• University degree.
• Minimum of 5+ years in retail experience, preferably with several years as an IKEA shopkeeper in one or several business areas.
• Strategic, analytical, and tactical abilities with a genuine interest in home furnishings and customers.
• Strong mathematical skills for gross margin calculations and familiarity with market trends.

We’re here to provide excellent service but a little help from you can ensure a five-star candidate experience from start to finish.

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.

As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.