Local Market Manager

IKANO External; Petaling Jaya; Hybrid; MYR 90,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

IKEA Malaysia seeks a Local Market Manager to drive regional expansion and deepen market presence in the PMA and beyond. You will translate national priorities into local strategies, lead marketing campaigns, and build strong community partnerships to strengthen brand love and customer loyalty.

You will manage local activations, online/offline campaigns, and measurement against KPIs, ensuring ROI and long-term growth across the market. This role emphasizes community impact and brand positioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related field.
• 6–7 years of experience in Marketing, Brand Management or Retail Marketing.
• Experience in regional or multi-market marketing is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a comprehensive annual local marketing plan aligned to national priorities and regional insights.
• Execute integrated marketing campaigns across online and offline channels, including activations and in-store initiatives.
• Drive market awareness, brand affinity, and community engagement through external communications and partnerships.
• Manage stakeholder relationships with government bodies, NGOs, local businesses, and community organisations to support sustainability goals.
• Provide strategic communication counsel to store leadership and translate national plans into local market actions.

Skills

Marketing strategy

Brand management

Market development

Campaign management

Regional marketing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications

Job description

Company description

The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. We do this by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. We operate in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand - and have an ambitious expansion plan to bring a little bit of Sweden to new markets in the region. We are part of the Ikano Group of companies and the only IKEA franchisee owned by the Kamprad family that founded IKEA.

We also develop, own and operate Shopping Centres that are anchored by IKEA and create walkable communities by including residential, office and other types of real estate in our development plans.

We work towards making sustainability a natural part of our everyday work. We are active in our communities, driving and supporting social initiatives that benefit children, women and the environment.

Job description

The Local Market Manager is responsible for driving regional business expansion and deepening IKEA's market presence across a dedicated geographic area. This role exists to identify and develop new business opportunities, untapped market segments, and emerging growth areas — ensuring IKEA grows not only in physical footprint, but in brand awareness, cultural relevance, and community impact.

Local Market Manager translates country-level commercial priorities into locally meaningful, insight-driven strategies with Marketing foundation. This role leads all marketing and branding efforts across the Primary Market Area (PMA) and Extended Market Area (beyond PMA), covering local relevance in activations, events, and especially community initiatives.

The Local Market Manager acts as a brand ambassador — championing IKEA's positioning as a company that cares for People and the Planet, supporting an exceptional in-store experience that drives loyalty and re-visitation. This role provides strategic communication counsel to store leadership while continuously spotting risks and growth opportunities across the market.

A. Understanding of area target audience

• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the Primary Market Area (PMA), including customer profiles, income segments, demographic composition, and behavioural patterns. Serve as the go-to market intelligence owner for the assigned area — translating who the customer is, what they earn, and how they live into actionable insights that ground brand positioning, campaign planning, and local marketing decisions in real market realities.

B. Business Expansion & New Market Development

• Identify new business opportunities, growth pockets, and underserved market segments within the dedicated region and surrounding areas, translating findings into actionable expansion priorities.
• Conduct ongoing market observation and monitor competitor activity, shifts in consumer behaviour, media consumption patterns, cultural nuances, and emerging macro trends that signal new opportunities.
• Develop and present strategic recommendations to unlock new market potential and accelerate sustainable, long-term growth across the region.
• Translate the country commercial calendar and national marketing plan into a localised market actions that drives traffic, re-visitation, and enduring customer loyalty within the PMA and Extended Market Area.
• Continuously review and optimise current market activities — identifying areas of under-performance and recommending improvements to increase efficiency, reach, and business impact.

B. Marketing, Planning & Execution

• Lead the development of a comprehensive annual local marketing plan aligned to national commercial priorities, regional market insights, and consumer life-at-home behaviours.
• Execute integrated marketing campaigns across online and offline channels, including activations, and in-store initiatives in especially to build visitation and brand love amongst the community.
• Ensuring ROI-driven allocation and rigorous performance tracking against agreed KPIs.
• Lead the acquisition, activation, and retention of IKEA Family and Småles members through data-led, insight-driven campaigns and membership KPI management.

C. Market Awareness

• Drive initiatives that grow market awareness, deepen brand affinity, and firmly position IKEA as the leading and most trusted home furnishing brand in the area.
• Manage all external communications — including community-facing content — to consistently reinforce brand relevance and positive perception.
• Champion a long-term brand orientation over short-term activation; challenge assumptions and re-prioritise focus as market dynamics evolve.

D. Community Engagement & Stakeholder Management

• Build and sustain meaningful partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, local businesses, and community organisations to drive sustainability and social impact goals.
• Position the store as a "Good Neighbour" through impactful, community-driven initiatives that reflect IKEA's values and commitment to People and the Planet.
• Manage multi-stakeholder relationships across internal functions and external partners, aligning regional activities to country priorities with clear, consistent communication.
• Provide strategic communication counsel to the Store Management Team, including proactive guidance on operational, community, and reputational matters.

Qualification

1. Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, Public Relations, Digital Media, or a related field. A Master's degree is an added advantage.
2. Minimum 6-7 years of working experience in Marketing, Brand Management, or Retail Marketing, with demonstrated involvement in market development, campaign management, or business growth.
3. Experience in a regional or multi-market marketing role is highly preferred.