Senior Brand Manager

Job description / Role

A leading Retail group int he UAE are looking for a senior brand manager

Reports to: Retail Manager
Supervises: Buyer/ Asst. Buyer/Area Manager/Brand Manager/Visual Merchandiser

Key Accountabilities

• Achieve targeted sales for respective brands
• Improve gross margins
• Improve footfall conversion for respective brands
• Adherence of visual standards as per brands requirements
• Improve stock turns for respective brands
• Approve Assortment planning
• Enhance Brand promotion and marketing activities
• Build and maintain relationships with key personnel of licensees, principals, etc

Requirements

Supervisory Activities

• Monitor OTB calculation done by buyers/ asst. buyers
• Ensure proper assortment planning and inventory budgeting by buyers/ asst. buyers
• Ensure proper allocation of merchandise based on sales trends and demand
• Plan customer loyalty programs and merchandise return from stores to warehouse
• Ensure customer surveys are undertaken and implemented across stores
• Ensure proper equipment and fixture planning for new stores
• Ensure that visual standards are communicated and implemented across stores directly or through visual merchandiser
• Visits stores regularly and understand key issues with brands
• Meet few customers to gain first hand understanding of brand performance, gaps in assortment and merchandise, customer services, etc
• Communicate issues to Merchandise manager / Asst Merchandise manager and plan course of action
• Ensure regular training is provided to buyers, operations team, visual merchandiser, etc as required

Execution Activities

• Undertake sales forecasting and monitoring of inventory levels across select brands
• Undertake pricing activities for brands based on pre-defined markups
• Participate in setting sales targets for specific brands
• Undertake stock transfers across locations based on sales trends and inputs from buyers/ asst. buyers
• Implement marketing, cross selling activities and media planning activities for advertising by coordinating with marketing coordinator
• Undertake promotions across brands along with assistance from asst. brand manager/ buyers
• Undertake competition and store visits on a regular basis and take appropriate action
• Coordinate with freight supervisor to track merchandise ordered
• Provide inputs to merchandise manager and asst. merchandise manager for improving brand performance & undertaking brand rationalization/ evaluation
• Build and maintain relationship with external agencies including suppliers, principals, show sponsors, magazine editors, etc
• Undertake problem solving activities related to asst. brand managers and buyers
• Assist projects manager and provide inputs for new store opening
• Prepare and forward MIS on a pre-defined basis as required

Coordination Activities

• Coordinate with marketing coordinator for execution of marketing and promotional activities
• Coordinate with visual merchandiser for execution of visual merchandising activities and changes in display for specific brands
• Coordinate with International business manager to support problem solving in other countries
• Coordinate with operations team to understand customer preferences & buying behavior
• Coordinate with projects manager to communicate inputs related to new store opening
• Coordinate with principals/ suppliers/ external entities for assistance required to carry out roles efficiently
• Coordinate with principals/ suppliers on a regular basis for store supplies

Suitable candidates must have at least 5 to 10 years experience with established franchise brands – UAE/GCC.

About the Company

iConnect is an international recruitment resource consultancy based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

iConnect is engaged in the recruitment of executives for the retail, healthcare and hospitality industries, utilising traditional recruitment methods and specialist headhunting activity.

At iConnect we understand that attracting and retaining great people is harder than ever and that the activity of recruiting can be time consuming, difficult and expensive. By listening and understanding our client’s human resource requirements we are able to place the best candidates at the first time of asking.

Our Recruitment Consultants are all highly trained and work unique specialist markets. This specialist focus allows them to understand the executive recruitment needs of both our clients and candidates.