Head of Buying - Fashion Retail

Job description / Role

Our client is one of the leading retailers operating in the Middle East and they boast some of the most popular home grown fashion and lifestyle brands in the region. They are looking for a very experienced Head of Buying for their fastest growing brand.

The brand is one of the largest and fastest growing brands and the role would include the following responsibilities,
- Create an overall product buying strategy
- Participate in the annual business planning and provide inputs to the CEO and the rest of the Senior Management Team
- Liaise with the process excellence team to spearhead continual improvement in the Buying processes
- Oversee all category plans in the areas of pricing, promotion, assortment and allocation for each category
- Ensure collaboration between category managers to leverage efficiencies in Procurement, transportation, warehousing and store operations
- Develop a seasonal range brief to ensure the right product mix for each store
- Identify, evaluate and select appropriate vendor mix to achieve business objectives
- Negotiate prices with suppliers to ensure competitiveness and exceed margin target
- Identify and select the appropriate vendor mix to achieve business objectives
- Negotiate prices with suppliers to ensure competitiveness
- Implement financial and credit services agreement with the vendor that maximise profit and positively contribute to cash flow
- Ensure the merchandise procured and received meets the quality standards set by the company
- Keep abreast of the local trends in buying
- Gather information from industry trade groups or through trade shows/market visits
- Manage and support recruitment and develop talent within the team by providing direction and support
- Retain and engage the talent employed and build a collaborative and high performance team

Requirements

- 15+ years’ International experience in buying children’s’ wear including basics, fashion, accessories and toys
- Experience in leading a buying team for an organisation with a significant sized consumer operations
- Must have handled budgets upwards of USD200 Million
- Excellent supplier relationships
- Must have good understand and experience of buying trips
- Very strong negotiation skills
- High cultural sensitivity
- Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders

About the Company

Mackenzie Jones Middle East has decades of recruitment expertise in various industry sectors. Along with a deep understanding of key market sectors and regions, we never forget to treat clients, companies and candidates as individuals who have unique needs.

So we always listen, constantly learn, occasionally challenge and frequently advise. Its all part of a service renowned for its courtesy, consideration and dedication. Based in Dubai since 2006, our office covers the GCC and Levant countries and with the right regional expertise, we are the leading specialists.

Were growing rapidly because people appreciate our honesty, commitment and results.