Deputy Communication & Interior Design Manager | Retail | IKEA Mall of Arabia

What you will do

Range presentation/Design/Commercial

• Ensure commerciality, vitality, and seasonality in the store by creating and implementing a store commercial calendar with the store management team.
• Understand store needs and employ regional guidelines effectively, ensuring a balance that maximizes commercial and sales results with minimal compromise on either requirement.
• Responsible for following up on and reviewing the planning, preparation, and implementation process of planned changes with the ID, VM, and Activity functions.
• Lead the store Com&In team in securing relevant and inspiring range presentation solutions, an optimal store layout, and effective store communication that builds the IKEA Brand and distinguishes IKEA retailers from competitors.
• Ensure that the store commercial team has a thorough understanding of store layout, range presentation, and store communication, contributing to the range presentation work method. “10 steps of presenting the range”
• Contribute knowledge of people's life at home and consumer shopping behaviour to the creation and implementation of the store business plan.
• Lead the IKEA way to present the range process with Sales Managers and Logistics Manager.
• Follow up on sales need to change range presentation due to a range change, sales drop, or out-of-stock situation, as a Com&In expert to achieve optimal range presentation and sales goals.
• Be the creative leader by initiating and facilitating workshops to generate “Creative direction” directions.
• Take charge of any expansions plans related to designated store (Example; seasonal stores, SISAN plans, new CMPs)
• Lead and inspire the store Com&In team to use knowledge of IKEA home furnishing and people's life at home for business growth.
• Identify current and future business needs based on the country competence development plan, recruiting, developing, and retaining a high-performing and passionate store Com&In team.
• Lead and challenge the Com&In team to consistently take actions that exploit commercial opportunities in the short and long term.
• Oversee the daily and weekly operational work of Comin leaders and their specialist co-workers in the Com&In department, ensuring continuous competence development.

Financial:

• Responsible for maintaining the store budget for the Com & In department
• Contribute with your expertise to achieve the store sales target
• Optimize the utilization of our team resources to meet commercial requirements effectively.

Customer:

• The IKEA store should provide a vibrant and exciting atmosphere that convince the visitors to come back for more repeat visits
• Contribute with knowledge of people's life at home and consumer shopping behaviour in the creation and implementation of the store business plan.
• Guarantee that all store communication, services, and customer guidance on the floor are customer-centric and locally relevant to enhance the mechanical sales system.

Operational:

• Get involved in other projects relating to activities that are carried out in the store from time to time. This may include rebuilding business area, based on feedback from range relating to changed priorities, or poor performance of the area.
• Co-ordinate with the planned marketing activity of the commercial calendar. While not all activity will affect a change in the room sets, major activities like Christmas will influence the decor of the room and modifications will have to be made accordingly. Changes are done to highlight the new or the activity related articles that the sales want to push, or even in case of giving boost to products that are not performing well and need to be displayed in a manner to catch the customer’s imagination.
• Will be focused on aligning the Com&In action plan considering business commercial calendar, rebuilds of room settings, homes, specialty shops, and compacts.
• will ensure continues alignment with the different works between the different functions to eliminate overlapping of the agenda with carpentry, graphic, assembly, electrician, and IT requests.
• Trinity working with Sales and ISL.

People and Development:

• Works closely together with the Com&In Manager and substitutes the manager in his/her absence.
• Make sure all co-workers having properly trained including development programs to secure the store performance and succession needs
• Participates in Com & In department meetings and seminars.
• Responsible for the good relation between Com&In and other departments.
• Regards as potential successor for the Com&In manager.
• Secure a successor for the Com&In manager deputy.
• Ensure that all Com&In co-workers have receive the necessary training in safety and security aspects related to the use of this equipment so they are able to follow the rules and regulations and prevent accidents

Skills

Required Skills to be successful

• 7+ years of experience in interior design or visual merchandising, preferably within the retail or commercial sector.
• Previous experience at IKEA is highly desired.
• Extensive background in design-oriented roles such as interior design, graphic design, visual merchandising, or store planning, along with demonstrated design management skills.
• Possession of a design-based education is required.

Job-Specific/Technical Skills required to complete the tasks:

• Deep interest in and highly developed knowledge of home furnishings and the way people live
• Project management experience
• Store layout planning experience
• Strategic Planning and Analytical Skills, Effective Communication, Excel competence. 

Behavioral Competencies:

• Customer Focused
• Individual Accountability
• Continuous Improvement
• Personal Leadership
• Teamwork