Brand Manager - JHB

Salary: Market Related

Requirements:

Matric
Relevant diploma or degree in Management
5 years senior management experience with a focus on brand management; merchandise planning and procurement; sales and logistics; finance; marketing
3 – 5 years experience in apparel and footwear
Be able to demonstrate management techniques in a complex situation(s)
Analytical skills
Excel skills
Good communication skills
Honesty, integrity and good work ethics
Dependability
A positive attitude
Be self-motivated
High energy levels

Duties & responsibilities:

Overview:

The Brand Manager is responsible for the overall management and execution of retail strategies of the Brand. All key retail functions, including but not limited to buying, visual merchandising, merchandise management, planning, and marketing fall under the direct responsibility and/or guidance of the Brand Manager. To ensure profitability and the execution of international brand standards, the Brand Manager will work with a team of both direct and indirect reports to deliver against all KPI’s set out in the business plan and to international brand standards. General responsibilities include:

Execution of brand, aligned to international strategies that supports the overall strategic objectives.
Development and maintenance of key relationships with all stakeholders including international brand teams, local partners, and internal stakeholders from other departments.
Ongoing business analysis and execution of ideas/changes to drive performance.
Train, manage, develop and coach direct reports and foster a positive and productive work environment.
International travel to international head office 4 times per year for franchise conferences/buying trips.
The Brand Manager must maximize financial performance and profit by managing staff, business intelligence and establishing and accomplishing the business objectives

Buying and Merchandise Management:

Selection of product / buying according to budgets.
Eye for selecting product that is on brand and relevant for the South African consumer.
Forecast sales and stock plans by season.
Manage the open to buy.

Merchandise management.
Set the departments seasonal and financial KPI’s in terms of stocks, sales, inputs and markdowns
In-season merchandise management to achieve the set KPI’s including gross margin and sales targets.
Manage markdowns and promotions.
Compile sales and profitability data for weekly, monthly, and seasonal reporting to ensure that KPIs are continuously assessed and actions taken in-season to manage inventory, margin, and sales.
Lead the monthly trend meetings and post seasonal analysis.
Oversee administrative elements of brand to ensure timely and accurate product information/data is captured including purchase orders, item creation, and allocations.

Supply chain:
In conjunction with planning and the allocations team, plans and manages flow of stock from delivery to stores to ensure correct seasonal flows that are in line with sales budgets, VM, marketing, and according to brand requirements.
Work with logistics teams and warehouse to ensure consistent communication regarding shipments, distributions, and other requirements.

Marketing and Visual Merchandising:
Development of seasonal marketing plans ensuring correct positioning of the brand and continuous assessment of ideas to ensure brand recognition and demand is maximized.
Support the brand marketing manager in executing activities according to plans, budget, and brand standards.
Develop Visual Merchandising directives for stores to follow and execute VM consistently according to brand requirements.

Operations:
Regular store visits.
Assist store with seasonal changes and execution of brand requirements.
Manage the opening process of new stores including store development, product allocations, staffing, etc.