Visual Merchandising Lead

Job description / Role

About the company

Azadea Group is a premier lifestyle retail company that owns and operates more than 40 leading international franchise concepts in fashion and accessories, food and beverage, home furnishings, sporting goods, multimedia, and beauty and cosmetics across the Middle East and Africa, spread across 13 countries overseeing more than 700 stores.

Job purpose

The Visual Merchandising Lead is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and upholding the brand and store image across all markets through effective resource management.

Responsibilities

• Achieve visual excellence and create a shop environment that reflects the brand essence in alignment with predefined objectives, guidelines, and visual propositions communicated by the merchandising department and business partners.
• Manage the planning and monitoring of the critical path for new and existing shops, ensuring timely delivery of visual setups in coordination with the marketing department.
• Examine available commercial tools, upcoming fashion trends, store events, and promotions aligned with the marketing activity and events calendar to assess their sales impact on the stores.
• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of sales reports, including Total In, Total Out, Sales by Section, Section vs. Sales, etc., and coordinate merchandising strategies for assigned categories. Collaborate closely with relevant stakeholders to plan and manage product distribution and displays effectively.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to actively monitor significant product line changes, identify both slow-selling and best-selling items, and gather up-to-date competitor information through competitive shopping and online research.
• Conduct periodic meetings with merchandisers to strategize upcoming product lines, utilizing specialized tools to maintain brand layout, fixture composition, product merchandising, and retail standards.
• Execute Point of Sale (POS) and seasonal shop layouts to effectively communicate the brand message and implement the brand strategy. Collaborate with the merchandising team and brand management to execute seasonal promotions and special events.
• Conduct regular shop visits to deliver comprehensive feedback on visual, commercial, and operational aspects to store and management at all levels, proposing action plans accordingly.
• Recruit, train, motivate, and evaluate the team to ensure that the department has the necessary skill base, and that staff are optimally motivated and enabled to maximize their potential and contribution to the company.

Qualifications
Language & technical skills

• Fluency in English.
• Fluency in French is a plus.
• Proficiency in MS Office and shop/stock management tools.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, or a related field.

Experience

• General experience: Six to eight years of experience in fashion retail, or a similar role.
• Managerial experience: Three years of experience in a managerial role.

Behavioral competencies

• Business insight: Applies knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals. For example, shows considerable business insight, beyond the fundamentals. Asks probing questions and draws on a variety of sources to gain insight and to explore business drivers or industry trends.
• Manages complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. For example, looks at complex issues from multiple angles; explores issues to uncover underlying issues and root causes; sees the main consequences and implications of different options.
• Plans and aligns: Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals. For example, strengthens alignment and coordination between own work and others', providing well-sequenced activities and exact time frames. Foresees and resolves many potential bottlenecks and delays.
• Ensures accountability: Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments. For example, tracks performance and strives to remain effective, learning from both successes and failures. Readily takes on challenges or difficult tasks and has a reputation for delivering on commitments.
• Develops talent: Develops people to meet both their career goals and the organization's goals. For example, shares own experience and expertise with others if asked. Provides constructive feedback and other support for other people's development.
• Communicates effectively: Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. For example, disseminates knowledge, insights, and updates in a polished, precise, and compelling manner. Demonstrates a deep interest in others' comments. Creates rich documents and reports.
• Courage: Steps up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said. For example, shares own ideas and points of view openly, regardless of potential criticism or risk; shows conviction when faced with adversity and challenges; raises difficult topics to be sure they are addressed.

Azadea Group is an equal employment employer - all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by relevant local laws.

About the Company

Azadea Group is a premier fashion and lifestyle retail company that owns and operates more than 50 leading international franchise concepts across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Europe. Since its inception in 1978, the Group has grown a substantial chain of stores representing leading international brand names in fashion and accessories, food and beverage, home furnishing, sporting goods and multimedia.With over 11,000 employees, the company boasts a solid infrastructure overseeing more than 600 stores spread across 15 countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.