Food Trading & Merchandising Leader – MENA

Al-Futtaim; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Al-Futtaim Retail is seeking a Food Trading Manager to maximize trading opportunities across the MENA region for Marks & Spencer food stores. The role focuses on developing and implementing trading strategies, improving store performance, and delivering an exceptional customer experience across a network of stores.

The successful candidate will coach retail teams, maintain high merchandising standards, and lead transformation and store-operations initiatives with regional leaders and store

Qualifications

• Proven leadership and store management experience within food retail or a similar retail environment.
• Experience working with leading food retailers is highly relevant.
• Strong experience in visual merchandising and coaching retail teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders professionally.
• Proven commercial acumen with the ability to make strategic decisions under pressure.
• Experience managing transformation projects, trading initiatives, or retail improvement programs.
• Experience working across multiple markets or regions is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a clear Food Retail Trading Calendar to establish a consistent trading rhythm across stores.
• Prepare and manage Trading MI and trading guidelines to support commercial decision-making.
• Establish clear trading standards and guidelines for food halls and ensure store teams understand and implement them effectively.
• Work with retail teams to maximize sales opportunities, improve store execution, and enhance customer experience.
• Lead the implementation of trading initiatives across multiple stores and markets in the MENA region.
• Monitor trading performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Manage multiple live projects with different timelines, priorities, and operational requirements.
• Resolve trading challenges and adjust implementation plans to achieve business objectives.
• Coach and develop store and retail teams to achieve consistent, high-quality trading and merchandising standards.
• Support teams in delivering right-first-time implementation of trading initiatives.
• Identify trading issues and work with store teams to develop effective solutions.
• Guide Regional Managers and Store Managers through transformation projects from initial concept through implementation and post-project review.
• Build strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the Food Business Unit.
• Champion a customer-focused retail culture across food stores.
• Lead and coordinate retail transformation and trading projects across multiple locations.
• Manage project timelines, priorities, stakeholders, and implementation activities.
• Work with Regional and Store Managers to ensure successful adoption of new trading initiatives.
• Identify operational challenges and implement appropriate corrective actions.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to measure results and identify further improvement opportunities.
• Support continuous improvement and change management across the Food Business Unit.

Skills

Retail leadership

Store management

Project management

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Data analysis

Change management

Customer focus

Job description

Al-Futtaim Retail is seeking a Food Trading Manager to maximize trading opportunities across the MENA region for Marks & Spencer food stores. The role focuses on developing and implementing trading strategies, improving store performance, and delivering an exceptional customer experience across a network of stores.

The successful candidate will coach retail teams, maintain high merchandising standards, and lead transformation and store-operations initiatives with regional leaders and store