Senior Category Manager Collaborations and Brand partners - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Miral Experiences

Description

Job OverviewTo deliver engaging, compelling, and world-class product ranges across our leisure portfolio. To provide guidance and strategic direction for all park retail purchases within Farah's business units. Responsible for sourcing regional and international brands to develop exclusive merchandise for our parks and attractions.

The Senior Category Manager Collaborations and Brand partners role offers the opportunity to shape our brand collaborations and product offerings, contributing significantly to the growth and success of our leisure portfolio.

To work to agreed budgets including open-to-buy, cost of goods, freight and GP margins across each of the business units and deliver these against expectations.

Job Scope


Brand Partnership Management:
Develop and maintain relationships with existing brand partners.
Proactively identify and pursue new business opportunities for brand partnerships.
Evaluate marketing opportunities and strategies for potential brand collaborations.
Negotiate and manage contracts with brand partners, ensuring mutually beneficial agreements.


Performance Monitoring:
Monitor the activities and performance metrics of brand partners.
Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarking plans to measure the success of partnerships.


Internal Collaboration:
Collaborate with internal teams to ensure successful implementation of brand partnerships.
Work closely with the retail team on cross-category activations and strategies to maximize product appeal and sales.


Product Development and Buying:
Estimate and anticipate future buying needs, customer preferences, and consumer trends.
Develop and introduce bespoke merchandise to align with the strategic business model.
Source, develop, and purchase the right products to meet company requirements.
Manage open-to-buy budgets to ensure alignment with expectations.


Product Hierarchy and Inventory Management:
Maintain the product hierarchy for effective reporting and categorization of products.
Continuously monitor market demand, supply, and stock levels to stay within budget.
Implement pricing strategies based on business insights.


Supplier Relations:
Collaborate with shared service functions to evaluate supplier options, prices, and quality.
Maintain trust relationships with suppliers to ensure fair dealing.
Verify product specifications through a robust testing, audit, and compliance process.


Collaboration with IP Holders:
Collaborate with relevant intellectual property (IP) holders and partners to align product offerings.


Business Performance:
Monitor business performance and collaborate with Operations to adjust plans to meet objectives.
Demonstrate a strong personal commitment to the business vision and drive innovation and effectiveness.


Reporting and Documentation:
Create reports on sales, budgets, and customer satisfaction.
Maintain an up-to-date status of product ranges in the buying critical path.


Other Duties:
Perform other reasonable duties as requested by senior management.

To be considered for this role, you will need to have:


Essential:

Higher secondary or equivalentMinimum of 10 years Brand Management and Buying experienceExperience in sourcing, developing, and delivering product that not only meets the company's requirements but also maintains brand standards to the IP ownerPossess a fundamental understanding of retail theories and standards, product design and packaging, product sourcing and delivery, contract negotiation, product inventory control, product display, and product pricing and sales.

Proven experience in brand partnership management, product development, and procurement.
Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Ability to think creatively and strategically.
Strong project management skills.
Familiarity with the leisure industry is advantageous.
Proficiency in using relevant software and tools for data analysis and reporting.
Proficiency in writing, speaking, and understanding the English languageAbility to monitor and identify problems proactively.

Understanding of how best to utilize all resources available to quickly and effectively solve problems as they occur and with a strong sense of urgency.

Stays current on new retail trends, technologies, and processes emerging in the industry and proactively works to develop new products and services that will improve profits through increased operational efficiency and/or improved guest satisfactionInterpersonal skillsLeadership skillsMultitasking skills - Ability to work in a fast-paced, fun, and busy environment managing multiple deadlinesKnowledge on department budgeting, P&L, and open-to-buy developmentKnowledge and understanding of computer programs such as Microsoft Office, POS systems, retail inventory control, and finance softwareAdaptability, comfortable with change in a fast-paced environment


Desirable:
Bachelor's DegreeRetail and Buying experience within the leisure theme park sectorKnowledge of business developmentProficiency in other languages a plus

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