Senior Buyer

Majid Al Futtaim; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle is seeking a Senior Buyer to lead strategic sourcing and buying, optimizing cost, quality and availability to meet customer demand and maximize profits. You will support strategic planning with the GM – Planning & Merchandising, shaping brand assortment and margins.

The role covers vendor negotiations, buying plans, stock optimization, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver a profitable product range and growth opportunities for the MAFLifestyle business.

Qualifications

• 4-5 years in a senior Merchandising role.
• Experience in a retail background mandatory.
• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion/Marketing or related field.
• Qualification in Retail Management/Purchasing/Sales or related subjects.

Responsibilities

• Formulate a suitable buying strategy aligned with Brand and MAFLifestyle guidelines.
• Direct and manage vendor sourcing, development, contracts, purchasing, and liaising with supply chain and warehouse.
• Ensure commercial, yet profitable product ranges are developed and bought to maximise profit and sales.
• Ensure the OTB is built up by store, category and subcategory.
• Manage stock with GM to reduce lost sales and balance product mix.
• Contribute to annual business plans, budgets and buying strategies; monitor performance and take corrective action.
• Responsible for achieving financial targets relating to buying activities, OTB, margins, sell-through and markdowns.
• Negotiate product pricing, cost of shipment and payment terms with local vendors.
• Maintain profitable relationships with existing suppliers and monitor adherence to contractual terms.
• Stay abreast of customer trends and demographics to guide buying decisions.
• Conduct fashion trends and product training of new launches/seasons to store teams.

Skills

Vendor sourcing

Negotiation

Merchandising

Stock management

Budgeting

Trend analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fashion/Marketing or related field

Retail Management/Purchasing/Sales related qualification

Job description

JOB TITLE

Senior Buyer | Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle | Buying

ROLE SUMMARY

The Senior Buyer is responsible for sourcing and buying at optimum cost, quality and availability, product ranges that meet customer needs thereby maximizing profits and providing a commercially viable range of merchandise for MAF Lifestyle business. The Senior Buyer will be responsible for supporting the General Manager – Planning & Merchandising in defining and presenting short and long-term strategic approaches, future growth opportunities and areas of risk for the business with regards to brand assortment, ranging, products, positioning inventory and margins.

ROLE PROFILE

• Formulateasuitablebuyingstrategy,approachandplaninlinewithBrandandMAFLifestyleguidelines.
• Directandmanagevariousfunctionalaspectsofvendorsourcing/development,contractnegotiation,purchasing,liaisingwithsupplychainandwarehousetoensureoptimumefficiency&performanceofthefunction.
• Ensurethatcommercial,yetprofitableproductrangesaredevelopedandboughtinordertomaximizeprofitandsales.
• EnsuretheOTBisbuiltupbystore,categoryandsubcategory.
• Manageandcontrol,inconjunctionwiththeGM,allaspectsofstocktoachievereducedlostsales,improvedbuyingandbalancedproductmixthroughcarefulandrigorousbuying.
• Contributetodevelopmentofannualbusinessplans,associatedbudgetsandbuyingstrategies,monitorperformanceagainstthis,initiatingcorrectiveactionwherenecessarytoensureoperationsareconductedwithintheagreedfinancialparametersandtargetsareachieved.
• Responsibleforachievingsetfinancialtargetsinrelationtoallbuyingactivities,OTB,margins,sellthruandmarkdowns.
• Negotiateproductpricing,costofshipmentandpaymentterms,intakemarginandtermswithlocalvendors,takingintoconsiderationbusinessandcosteffectivenessasthemainconsideration.
• Maintainprofitablerelationshipswithexistingsuppliersandmonitoradherencetoallcontractualterms.
• Stayabreastofcustomertrends,demographicshiftsandotherinfluencestoensurebuyingdecisionscloselyrelatetocustomerpreferencescontributingtothecustomerexperience.
• Conductfashiontrendsandproducttrainingofnewlaunches/seasonstothestoreteamsasandwhenrequired.

REQUIREMENTS

• 4-5yearsinaseniorMerchandisingrole
• Experienceinaretailbackgroundismandatory
• ABachelors’Degree,preferablyinFashion,Marketingorrelatedfield
• QualificationinRetailManagement/Purchasing/Salesorrelatedsubjects