Job description
Role Overview
Senior Buying Manager - Level Shoes at Chalhoub Group. Level Shoes is a luxury footwear and accessories destination within the Chalhoub Group portfolio, operating across retail and eCommerce channels.
Company Overview
Chalhoub Group is a luxury retail group operating for over seven decades across the Middle East, with presence in LATAM. The Group manages a portfolio of over 10 owned brands and distributes over 400 international luxury brands across fashion, beauty, jewellery, watches, eyewear, and art de vivre categories. It operates more than 950 stores, online platforms, and mobile apps, employing over 16,000 professionals across eight countries in the Middle East. The Group is a Great Place to Workยฎ certified employer, member of the United Nations Global Compact, signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles, and committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040.
Role Purpose
Lead the luxury buying strategy for Level Shoes, curating and shaping the brand portfolio and driving commercial success across retail and eCommerce channels. This leadership role requires building relationships with world-leading luxury brands, identifying market opportunities ahead of competition, and inspiring high-performing buying teams.
Key Responsibilities
Buying Strategy & Assortment
- Develop and execute the buying strategy across luxury footwear and accessories in alignment with business objectives.
- Lead seasonal buying, assortment planning, and product lifecycle decisions to maximize sales, margin, and profitability.
- Continuously identify market trends, new brands, and commercial opportunities to keep the assortment relevant and differentiated.
- Monitor brand performance and make strategic decisions around growth opportunities, assortment optimization, and portfolio evolution.
Commercial Management
- Lead OTB management and own financial performance, margins, and category strategy.
- Build and strengthen relationships with international luxury brands, negotiating commercial terms and creating long-term strategic partnerships.
- Represent Level Shoes with confidence, engaging with CEOs, Brand Directors, and senior stakeholders across the luxury industry.
Omnichannel Delivery
- Manage both retail stores and eCommerce buying strategies.
- Partner closely with Merchandising, Planning, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Digital teams to deliver a seamless omnichannel customer experience.
Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Buyers, fostering a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, accountability, and results.
Qualifications & Experience
- Significant buying leadership experience within a luxury retail environment.
- Experience buying for footwear and/or accessories within a multi-brand luxury retailer or luxury department store.
- Experience managing both retail stores and eCommerce buying strategies.
- Proven experience leading and developing buying teams.
- Existing relationships with international luxury brands.
- Experience within Men's buying is highly desirable.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong commercial acumen with ownership of OTB, margins, financial performance, and category strategy.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders from day one.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Confidence to engage with senior executive stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of luxury consumers and fashion trends.
- Knowledge of the GCC retail landscape.
Additional Information
- Competitive benefits package includes health care, child education contribution, remote and flexible working policies, and exclusive employee discounts.
- Learning and development opportunities and exposure to different assignments within the role or through internal mobility.
- Diverse career paths available within the Group.
- Chalhoub Group is committed to inclusion and diversity and welcomes all applicants without regard to gender, age, race, religion, national origin, or disability status.
- Assessments and interviews should be completed independently and without assistance from generative AI tools.