Selling & Design Manager

IKEA; Johor Bahru; On-site; MYR 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading home furnishings retailer in Johor Bahru is seeking a passionate individual to lead the Sales and Communication team. You will optimize the shopping experience and contribute to increasing sales and the overall profitability of the store. Ideal candidates should have strong leadership capabilities and a deep understanding of home furnishing trends and market needs. The position offers competitive benefits including discounts, flexible benefits, and ample maternity/paternity leave.

Benefits

IKEA discounts

Flexi Benefits

Maternity and paternity leave

Work environment

Incentive plan

Qualifications

• Proven record of strong leadership and managing teams.
• Understanding of IKEA’s multichannel retail environment.
• Ability to analyze the local market and competition.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the Sales and Communication team.
• Ensure co-workers are ready to assist customers.
• Follow up on financial goals and motivate team members.
• Initiate workshops for creative directions.
• Implement commercial action plans and country priorities.

Skills

Strong leadership

Commercial performance

Understanding home furnishing

Business analysis

Negotiation and communication skills

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

To lead, develop, and inspire the Sales and Communication & Interior Design team and other functions in the store to optimize the shopping experience to secure satisfied customers and increase sales and profitability in the store, increasing the home furnishing interest of the many people and creating demand for home furnishing solutions and know‑how in the local market. Accountable for the store layout, range presentation, and store communication thereby contributing to positioning the IKEA brand as the leader in life at home. You achieve this using your knowledge of the IKEA product range, the local market, competition, and customers.

Your Assignment

• Lead and inspire the store Sales, Communication & Interior Design, and local marketing teams to use knowledge of IKEA home furnishing and people's life at home to grow the business.
• Ensure your team has the right number of co‑workers in the right place at the right time to run their shops successfully and ensure their co‑workers are ready and available to serve customers and help them buy.
• Follow up on your financial goals, KPIs, and costs, and act on deviations. Motivate and develop team members by agreeing clear goals, expectations and conducting follow‑ups.
• Partner with the store manager to stimulate and increase interest in home furnishing for all coworkers in the store.
• Act as the creative leader by initiating workshops and collaborating with the ID Manager, VM Manager, and GC Leader to facilitate these sessions and generate creative directions.
• Deliver and lead the commercial action plans and implement the commercial calendar together with the store management team.
• Secure successful implementation of country priorities and the sharing and implementing of good solutions. You are passionate about the IKEA products in your shop. You create a high level of knowledge about the products’ features and benefits, and share this with customers and your team.
• Analyse the qualitative performance of your store using IKEA research tools to improve the IKEA mechanical sales system and easy buying process through all channels.
• Lead the store Communication & Interior Design team in securing relevant and inspiring range presentation solutions, an optimal store layout, and effective and efficient store communication that builds the IKEA Brand and distances IKEA retailers from the competition.
• Secure that the store commercial team has the right understanding of store layout, range presentation, and store communication thereby contributing to the work method for range presentation.
• Based on the national competence development plan, identify current and future business needs in order to recruit, develop and retain a high performing and passionate team.
• Lead and challenge the Sales and Communication & Interior Design team to constantly take actions that exploit commercial opportunities both in the short‑ and long‑term.
• I secure that purchasing in my function is made according to the principles defined in the Procurement Policy: operational participation in procurement projects.

Qualifications

• Understanding how to create business in the IKEA multichannel retail environment.
• A proven record of strong and successful leadership. Skilled in creating a high commercial performance and delivering results through your team.
• Broad knowledge of home furnishing the IKEA way (living situations, style groups, store communication), range presentation the IKEA way (layout as a commercial tool, store media, display techniques). Broad knowledge of retailing and trends that influence home furnishing.
• Understand life at home in the local market and the outcome of market research, e.g. IKEA Customer Satisfaction Survey, IKEA Brand Capital.
• Understand trends that influence home furnishing.
• Work method for presenting the range the IKEA way. Understand the IKEA Concept and IKEA Brand objectives.
• Understand and actively use all IKEA tools & materials to build competence.
• Understand the business plan process in the store and experience of setting and implementing action plans, budgets and following up goals to deliver to this.
• Business analysis and numerical skills to enable considered decision‑making. Sales steering and how to work with layout as commercial tool.
• Understand the local market and competition and what this means for pricing. Understand life at home in your market & make commercial decisions based on this.
• Ability to build trust, negotiate and communicate in a clear and targeted way with different people in different situations.

Additional Information

You are invited to this Life at Home journey with IKEA. Click here to begin Life at Home Journey with IKEA. Your job application will be prioritised when you complete the life at Home Journey with IKEA.

Please apply by 31 August 2025.

Working with us has its rewards

• IKEA discounts
  Co‑workers are our most valued customers and are entitled to a 15% discount on any home furnishings and food sold in our stores, from the first day of work.
• Flexi Benefits
  We offer flexi benefits to cater to our co‑workers who are in different life stages with differing benefits needs. Within an annual Flexible Spending Account, co‑workers can claim against dental, optical, fitness memberships or classes, vaccination or immunisation, non‑insured outpatient medical expenses, health screenings, health supplements, IKEA purchases, health aid & equipment and mental health.
• Maternity and paternity leave
  We give mother four consecutive months of maternity leave and father receives four weeks of paid time off after a baby has arrived to help share the joys – and responsibilities – at home.
• Gifts
  We enjoy special occasions together and give tokens to mark birthdays, marriage, the arrival of a baby. We reward loyalty through our Long Service Awards.
• Work environment
  As home furnish experts, we take pride in providing inspiring workplaces that showcase IKEA products and create a relaxed, open atmosphere where we work side by side.
• Incentive plan
  All co‑workers may earn an annual financial reward when we meet our shared business objectives.