Ackermans Woman Executive

**Job Advert**:
We are looking for a resilient, efficient, and confident individual with compelling entrepreneurial skills, merchant mentality and a passion for Womanswear to develop and execute the Company’s business strategy for the Ackermans Woman standalone stores and take full accountability for the sales and profit objectives.
- and long-term growth and profitability objectives.

**Qualifications**:
**Essesntial**:

- A relevant degree /qualification in Fashion, Textile Design /Clothing Production/ Product Development /Merchandising, or a related field

**Knowledge, Skills and Experience**:
**Job Related Knowledge and Skills Required**

**People skills**:

- The ability to influence across various levels and functions within the business
- The ability to communicate effectively at all levels both within, as well as outside the company
- Excellent interpersonal, people management, team management & leadership skills
- Conflict management skills
- The ability to be resilient, have tenacity and maintain high levels of drive and initiative under pressure
- Cross-functional collaboration (essential between Buying, Product Technology & Planning functions)
- The ability to create a shared vision and to positively influence others
- The ability to give input into company-wide initiatives and translate these into actions required of Buying
- Networking skills & the ability to be resourceful
- The ability to prioritise
- The ability to be assertive
- The ability to work independently, as well as be a team player
- People Development (succession planning)

**Merchant skills**:

- A sound grasp of figures
- Good judgment together with strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities
- Excellent negotiating skills
- A sound commercial mentality
- An understanding of the various market value propositions, and the accompanying shopper
- The ability to analyse, interpret and adapt trends (product, market & societal)
- A flair/eye for product and building ranges
- Sound strategic thinking skills, as well as the ability to formulate functional objectives related to business strategy
- Exceptional planning, organising & time management skills
- Formulating strategies in a changing global/local context
- Must be adaptable
- Must be outcomes focussed and solution driven

**Technical skills**
- High-level presentation skills
- Knowledge of the retail merchandise cycle with regards to Buying, Planning, Logistics and Stores
- Knowledge of specific company buying strategies
- Understanding of retail business systems and related processes - IT
- People management practices, policies & procedures
- A comprehensive knowledge/understanding of SA’s retail clothing market, customers, and competitors
- An understanding of relevant trends with a flair/eye for acceptable product for the relevant target market
- Relevant product knowledge with regards to styling constructions
- An understanding of product components

**Experience Required**:

- Buying and Planning experience, of which at least 5 years is at a senior level within a clothing/footwear retail environment
- Previous senior managerial experience to understand the inner workings and product strategies and philosophies of a business.
- Previous experience in leading a team
- Integral understanding of the Clothing Retail Cycle & Buying process
- Experience in developing strategy and implementing strategic interventions in a rapidly changing global and local context

**Key Responsibilities**:
**Product**
- Developing, influencing, and driving the business’s seasonal product and purchasing strategy in line with Company objectives (i.e., the Business Plan)
- Effectively influencing the selection of merchandise in-line with the approved product matrix to meet the target customers’ needs in terms of price, quality and fashionability, to deliver to the Company’s agreed value proposition
- Ensuring that the correct supplier partnerships are selected for the business & managed according to Company policies and procedures
- Determining and managing the merchandise procurement process to ensure on-time delivery as per the agreed Company critical path dates
- Ensuring that the appropriate product is selected and proposed to maximize sales in support of the agreed marketing, sales, and in-store visual merchandising plan

**Stakeholder Alignment**
- Lead the Planning, Design & Marketing team(s) in the optimisation of processes in line with business profit objectives by implementing sound people management practices, employee relations and a climate and culture of high performance
- Developing and influencing cross-functional partnerships with all specified key relationships (Marketing, Product Technology, Operations and Supply Chain functional areas).