Director - Merchandise Planning
Job description / Role
Employment: Full Time
Inspire | Exhilarate | Delight
For over seven decades, Chalhoub Group has been a partner and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East. In its pursuit to excel as a hybrid luxury retailer, the Group has curated a portfolio of over 10 owned brands and strengthened its distribution and marketing expertise for over 400 international names across luxury fashion, beauty, jewellery, watches, eyewear, and art de vivre categories.
Every step at Chalhoub Group is taken to build a future where luxury dreams become reality - bridging cultures and crafting memorable experiences for our consumers. Be it by constantly reinventing itself, committing to innovation, or embracing new technologies, the Group is shaping the future of luxury retail.It delivers seamless omnichannel experiences across more than 950 stores, online platforms, and mobile apps. Driving this innovation journey is The Greenhouse - the Group's innovation hub, incubator, and accelerator for startups and emerging businesses, regionally and globally.
Chalhoub Group fosters a people-at-heart culture rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a workplace catalysed by forward thinking and future-proofing. Today, it brings together over 16,000 talented professionals across eight countries in the Middle East, with a presence in LATAM.Their collective efforts have earned the Group the Great Place to Work® certification in several markets.
Sustainability is at the core of the Group's strategy, guided by a clear commitment to people, partners, and the planet. Chalhoub Group is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, a signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles, and to have pledged to reach Net Zero by 2040.
What you'll be doing
As a Supply Chain Merchandising Director, you will use your knowledge, experience and influencing skills to develop a robust and agile supply chain able to support the commercial omnichannel needs of the business for years to come.
You will be responsible for setting up the Merchandise Category Supply Chain Strategy thus strengthening the group's ability to maximise revenue while being agile in our decision making. The role will be responsible to lead the transformation along with the supply chain managements of each sub vertical and cross-functionally.The aim being that we build not only for tomorrow but for beyond.
You will be a critical partner for the Chief Demand and Supply Planning Officer, the wider team, and the business leaders in the Managed Companies space. Your responsibilities will include:
- Drive and oversee the Merchandise Category Planning Strategy taking into account market benchmarking (external and internal), brand specifics as well as commercial business strategy.
- Drive the conversation to deliver a Merchandise Category Blueprint by collaborating with other departments through effective and efficient stakeholder management, fluid communication and data driven recommendation.
- Lead the purchasing process by driving the OTB and establishing a purchasing strategy in line with the business targets balancing networking capital, margin and product availability.
- Manage the inventory levels, ensuring availability while balancing cost with the customer in mind. Identify stock exit plans taking into account all business drivers.
- When needed, deep dive into business performance understanding drivers, proactively initiate course of action ensuring that the direction is in line with business strategy.
- Shape our future by driving continuous process improvement throughout the organisation looking beyond the silos, prepare return on investment scenarios including risk assessment to quantify profitability of system / process design change.
- Own and drive talent management within your team to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to perform their jobs effectively.
- Drive the transformation for the business to ensure resource and tools are in line to deliver company strategy.
- Bachelor or master's degree in business, supply chain or related field.
- 10+ years of experience in retail/distribution, with at least 5 years in a management role.
- Buying/merchandising/planning function in a global brand in FMCG, luxury, B to B, brand or retail.
- Proven track record of successful merchandise planning and execution.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to make decisions.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong project management skills.
- Familiarity with ecommerce and omnichannel retailing.
- People management experience.
What we can offer you
With us, you will turn your aspirations into reality. We will help shape your journey through enriching experiences, learning and development opportunities and exposure to different assignments within your role or through internal mobility. Our Group offers diverse career paths for those who are extraordinary, every day.
We recognise the value that you bring, and we strive to provide a competitive benefits package which includes health care, child education contribution, remote and flexible working policies as well as exclusive employee discounts.
We invite all applicants to apply
It takes diversity of thought, culture, background, differing abilities and perspectives to truly inspire, exhilarate and delight our customers. At Chalhoub Group, we are committed to inclusion and diversity.
We welcome all applicants to apply and be part of our exciting future. We ensure equal opportunity for all our applicants without regard to gender, age, race, religion, national origin or disability status.
Department: Supply Chain & Logistics
About the Company
The Chalhoub Group is the leading partner for luxury across the Middle East since 1955. As an expert in retail, distribution and marketing services based in Dubai, the group has become a major player in the fashion, beauty and gift sectors regionally.
By blending its Middle East expertise and intimate knowledge of luxury, Chalhoub Group is building brands in the region, by offering service excellence to all its partners and a unique experience to its customers through its passionate teams.
With a growing workforce of more than 9,000 people, implemented in 14 countries, as well as the operating of over 470 retail outlets, the group's success is attributed to its most valued asset of highly skilled and dedicated teams. Professionalism and passion are what fuel the Chalhoub Group's competitive edge in today's market.
By being committed to implementing sustainable practices into their business, the Chalhoub Group has been awarded in 2013 the CSR Label from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
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