Customer Manager

IKEA; Mumbai; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

IKEA in Mumbai seeks a Customer Manager to lead an energetic team, introduce IKEA to new customers, and create a locally relevant shopping experience in a dynamic market.

You will drive customer satisfaction, oversee IKEA Food, manage budgets, and ensure compliance, while unlocking growth through insights and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience.
• Proven track record in building high-performing teams.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.
• Understanding of P&L, budget and cost control.
• Experience in multichannel retail environment.
• Knowledge of food service/retail operations a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Customer Relations and IKEA Food functions to drive commercial growth, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction across all channels.
• Maximize sales, profitability, and business performance in line with local, national, and global frameworks while ensuring a safe, high-quality customer experience.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, health, safety, and security requirements for customers and co-workers.
• Develop the customer journey using insights and feedback to strengthen loyalty and support sustainable growth.
• Lead, coach, and develop the full team, promoting growth and strong collaboration across the store.

Skills

Leadership

Customer satisfaction

Problem-solving

Change leadership

Stakeholder management

Retail operations knowledge

Job description

We’re on the lookout for an enthusiastic and customer-focused Customer Manager who lives and breathes home furnishing. This is your chance to lead an energetic team, introduce IKEA to new customers, drive success in a new market, and create a meaningful and locally relevant shopping experience.

• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience with a proven track record in developing and leading high-performing teams.
• Experience in driving customer satisfaction and delivering business results in a customer-focused environment.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict management skills, with the ability to lead through change and complexity.
• Good understanding of IKEA business, values, and ways of working, with experience in a fast-paced, multichannel retail environment.
• Good knowledge of P&L, budget management, cost control, and resource optimization.
• Good knowledge of Food, Hospitality, Retail Operations, or Customer Service management.
• Proven ability to create and deliver an excellent customer experience, utilizing customer insights and feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Good understanding of talent management, including recruitment, succession planning, coaching, and development.
• Experience in leading organizational change and implementing improvement initiatives.
• Good knowledge of legal compliance requirements, contracts, and vendor/third-party management.
• Understanding of health, safety, security, and food safety requirements, with the ability to act as a key contact for authorities and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of food operations, food quality standards, and food business performance management.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions.
• Passion for people, food, and creating positive customer experiences that strengthen business performance and customer loyalty.
• Good analytical and communication skills

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

To lead the Customer Relations and IKEA Food functions by driving commercial growth, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction across all channels. The role is accountable for maximizing sales, profitability, and business performance in line with local, national, and global frameworks, while ensuring a safe, high-quality, and rewarding customer experience. Through customer insights, feedback, and emerging consumer trends, the role continuously improves customer journey, strengthens customer loyalty, and develops recommendations that support sustainable business growth and operational effectiveness. The role also ensures compliance with food safety, health, safety, and security requirements for customers and co-workers.

• Drive a customer-focused culture throughout the complete market and secure an overall inspiring shopping experience where it is always for customers easy to shop.
• Influence the unit management team with customer insights that will allow it to base business decisions on customer expectations.
• Responsible for identifying and removing hindrances to secure an easy buying experience, a positive shopping experience and easy payment and after-sales fulfilment.
• Support commercial initiatives and priorities before, during and after the shopping experience.
• Establish and maintain service agreements with internal stakeholders (including customer support) and external partners to protect operational standards and help safeguard the IKEA culture.
• Plan and determine which departmental resources and investments are required to achieve operational excellence in balance with customer expectations.
• Secure and monitor the department is working according to internal, global and national rules and policies, IKEA best practise and in accordance with local legislation. Collect and synthetize consumer, customer, brand and internal data to contribute with recommendations and decisions to improve and to develop customer service.
• Provide relevant consumer and customer insights to the store team to initiate and support problem solving and find solutions to improve customer shopping experience.
• Responsible for the development of excellence in the customer experience including all services and HCS / Pulse CX.
• Champion the delivery of a seamless, convenient and rewarding end to end shopping experience to maximize conversion and selling more across all channels
• Actively cooperate with all key stakeholders within commercial and beyond to secure integration, common focus and to maximize impact for our customers.
• Responsible for customer experience in the store, seamless and convenient check-out and IKEA Food business (Swedish bite)
• Contributes to the implementation of global and national food safety compliance standards to secure a safe environment for customers and co-workers.
• Ensure that retail foundations and sales steering tools, food safety and Swedishness are in place to optimize commerciality
• Contribute to the creation and implementation of the IKEA Retail Food business plan and food action plans
• Ensure the customer focus and relevant business plans relate and create the local action plan accordingly that is operationally implemented and fulfilled.
• Lead, coach, develop the full team promoting individual growth and competence and secure a high performing team and a strong collaboration across the store.
• Ensure the building of business competence by supporting managers, leaders and team members in setting and working on relevant goals and agreed development plans.
• Identify and develop the talents in the unit and within the department to secure succession planning.
• Establish and maintain service agreements with internal stakeholders, across the market, with SO, RCMP and external partners to develop efficient operational processes and promote IKEA culture and values.
• Secure and monitor the department is working according to internal, global and national rules and policies, IKEA best practice and in accordance with local legislation.

TOGETHER AS A TEAM

To drive sales growth and sustained long-term profitability, by providing an outstanding shopping experience and establishing and retaining a life-long relationship with existing and new customers. This is achieved by working in partnership with our customers and other functions to:

• Secure an easy buying process from home to home
• Understand and match customers’ needs and expectations now and in the future.
• Secure always strong customer focus as priority.

The aim is to motivate our customers to shop with us more frequently because they trust us to make their shopping experiences successful and their visits worthwhile. Being the voice of the customers in the store and secure that all store team members understand the importance of our customer centric approach. Every customer counts.

Let’s create the future of home furnishing together!

WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

At IKEA we value diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are committed to providing coworkers with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We encourage individualism and invite you to come join our team and be yourself with us! We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristic protected by law. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need.