Manager Retail Buying - FOC & Marketplaces GCC

• 3-5 years of experience in Retail Merchandising, ideally covering both outlet and eCommerce channels.  
• Preferably a university degree in business related areas.
• Experience with Buying, inventory planning and financial performance tracking is essential.
• Strong MS Office/Excel skills.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent knowledge of all relevant Merchandising KPIs.
• Strong communication skills (English) is a must.
• Understanding of Merchandise Planning & Buying cycles.
• Strong commercial mindset.
• Highly organized and detail oriented.
• Knowledge of market trends, sporting goods & fashion industry.
• Adaptability to work in a fast-paced retail environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Team Player.

Responsible for optimizing product assortment and sales performance across both our marketplace channel and physical outlet stores.

Range Planning & Buying:

• Define seasonal product ranges and buy plans tailored for outlet and marketplace channels.
• Develop range building blocks, grading logic, and sell-through targets using both qualitative and quantitative insights.
• Determine weeks in store (WIS), forecast final buy quantities, and manage option count to maximize product performance and customer relevance.
• Build product assortments for new store openings or marketplace expansions based on store environment, historical performance, and customer behavior.
• Maintain the range plan in-season and throughout the order process.

Inventory & Order Management:

• Accountable for timely order placement and order tracking to ensure alignment with launch timelines.
• Own divisional buy spend, inventory control, and in-season stock movement for both outlet and marketplace business.
• Monitor and manage option flow, density, and support in-season replenishment to support commercial and operational needs.
• Own Clearance strategy and drive sell-out of regional old stock via Outlet and Marketplace channel.

Sales Performance & In-Season Management:

• Track sales performance and Sell-Thru weekly, comparing plan vs actuals and revising action plans accordingly.
• Jointly responsible for top-down and bottom-up target achievement, including sales, margin, and profitability KPIs.
• Support development and execution of markdown and promotional strategies across both channels, including post-sale analysis.

Marketplace Management:

• Oversee listing strategy ensuring SEO best practices and brand consistency.
• Collaborate with the marketplace team on promotions, price competitiveness and promotional calendars.
• Extend product assortment according to requirements utilizing regional clearance stock.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with the allocation team to ensure timely product launches and implementation of assortment plans.
• Work closely with Visual Merchandising, Brand & Commercial Marketing, and Operations teams to align retail and marketplace displays with brand and business objectives.
• Liaise with Teamhead Retail Merchandising to develop financial plans and seasonal strategies across categories & stores.

Planning & Reporting:

• Prepare product and strategy presentations for key stakeholders including global teams (e.g., Buy Review), senior management, and store operations.
• Prepare RESEC aligned with global launches and regional focuses
• Conduct performance deep-dives and sell-through analysis to adjust future buying and allocation strategies.
• Provide actionable insights to improve marketplace competitiveness and outlet productivity based on sales trends, customer behavior, and market activity.