Director BandM EMC

adidas; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Adidas in Dubai seeks a senior Merchandising & Trading Leader to own assortment planning, forecasting, and in-season trading for the EMC DTC business across Retail, eCommerce and Franchise. You will drive buying strategy, Open-To-Buy planning, and market-aligned range concepts to maximize sales and margins.

Collaborating with Planning, Finance, Demand Planning, SCM and Operations, you will monitor KPIs, analyze sell-through, mitigate supply risks, and translate trends into actionable trading

Qualifications

• University degree in business/Finance/Merchandising required.
• Merchandising experience is essential (10–12 years).
• Management experience (5 years) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive overall buying strategy and execution for DTC to meet KPIs (net sales, margin, range efficiency).
• Lead range/concept selection per market balancing brand and commercial needs.
• Contribute to pre-season planning including OTB and option planning for Ecom merchandising.
• Forecast buying based on OTB and assortment plan aligning with marketing strategy.
• Enhance country ranges reflecting localization for DTC.
• Analyze sell-through and support strategic planning via data insights.
• Collaborate with supply chain to ensure product availability and mitigate risks.
• Create seasonal/phasing frameworks aligned to consumer peaks and launches.
• Stay informed on consumer trends to tailor trading actions accordingly.
• Use marketplace trends and feedback to refine strategies and improve shopping experience.
• Identify opportunities to grow market share and improve customer satisfaction.
• Identify and improve current processes, systems and tools for trading and inventory.
• Build scalable foundations for future growth with best practices.
• Plan brand & commercial calendar aligned with market trends.
• Coordinate with Planning, Finance, Demand, SCM & Operations for aligned actions.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to track trading effectiveness.
• Provide actionable insights and stakeholder updates for alignment.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Time management

Multi-tasking

Leadership

Analytical skills

MS Office

Retail systems

English fluency

Detail-oriented

Education

University degree in business/Finance/Merchandising

Tools

Retail Management Systems

MS Office Suite

Job description

Job Description:

Purpose & Overall Relevance For The Organization

This role is critical to supporting the profitability of EMC DTC by focusing on assortment planning & forecasting, in-season trading, maximizing profit through agile, data-driven decision-making & overall category strategy for DTC channels. The role will contribute to the execution of the buying strategy, leveraging smart and comprehensive views of marketplace trends and trading performance. The role emphasizes quick action to capitalize on opportunities, driving revenue and margin improvement across the EMC DTC business which includes Retail, ecom and Franchise.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive overall buying strategy and execution for DTC being responsible for meeting all KPIs including Net sales, Margin, range efficiency, productivity, and range overlap.
• Drive a compelling range/concept selection for each market by balancing both brand and commercial considerations, and supporting the overall business strategy.
• Contribute to pre-season planning including Open-To-Buy (OTB) plan, pre-season product planning, option planning and ranging to build & drive the Ecom merchandising vision.
• Based on the OTB and the assortment plan, make the buying forecast ensuring consistency with the marketing strategy and historical data
• Drive Country Range enhancements through assortment planning that reflects localization and differentiation in the marketplace for DTC.
• Provide regular analysis of sell-through performance and contribute to strategic planning based on the analysis.
• Ensure product availability in collaboration with supply chain team, develop an action plan to mitigate risks.
• Create a seasonal / phasing framework aligned to consumer consumption peaks and category launch requirements.
• Stay informed about evolving consumer behaviour and preferences to tailor trading actions accordingly.
• Leverage marketplace trends and customer feedback to refine strategies and improve the shopping experience.
• Identify market opportunities and implement actions to capture unmet consumer demand, improving customer satisfaction and market share.
• Identify areas for improvement in current ways of working, systems, and tools to streamline trading and inventory management processes.
• Build scalable foundations for future growth by implementing best practices and innovative solutions.
• Brand and commercial calendar planning inline with consumer & market trends.
• Work closely with Planning, Finance, Demand planning, SCM & operations teams to ensure alignment of trading actions with broader business strategies.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to track the effectiveness of trading and inventory actions.
• Provide actionable insights and regular updates to stakeholders to ensure alignment and transparency.

People Management

• Evaluate the competencies of his/her subordinates on a regular basis and provides prompt and feedback and guidance to drive high performance
• Takes ownership for Talent Management processes to grow, develop and retain talents.
• Promote a high-performance culture by setting clear expectations and individual goals.
• Translate the company goals into team specific actions and business plans. Control and monitor performance and results.
• Mange a diverse team and identify, develop and nurture talent building a solid succession pipeline

Key Relationships

• Planning
• Operations
• Brand
• Finance
• Supply Chain
• Franchise sales
• EM Hub Merchandising, Ecom & Franchise team

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• High degree of commercial and business acumen
• Strong time-management, planning and organizational skills
• Ability to multi-task in a dynamic environment and challenge the status quo
• Leadership and influencing skills
• Advanced user of MS Office suite of products
• Fluent in English
• Advanced knowledge of Retail Management Systems
• Strong analytical skills
• Structured, organised and process orientated
• Attention to detail as error in analysis will have crucial impact to business
• Ability to work effectively within a team environment and under pressure

Requisite Education And Experience / Minimum Qualifications

University degree in business/Finance/Merchandising.Merchandising Experience: 10-12 yearsManagement Experience: 5 years

adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an equal opportunity employer.