Head of Retail – expatriate position in Accra, Ghana

Position now closed for new applications.

This is a very specific role: You MUST possess the required skills and experience to be considered. Therefore, BEFORE submitting your CV, please read ALL the IMPORTANT details below.

BACKGROUND:

Employing over 3000 people, my client is a long-established, well-known and internationally respected conglomerate with operations across sub-Saharan and East Africa, Europe and Asia. Providing multi-sector operations and services across various sectors, they are leaders in Consumer Durables; Household Appliances and Electronic Goods; Packaging and Plastics; Manufacturing; Chemicals and Polymers; Hospitality and Real Estate; and, importantly, Nationwide Multi-Retail Stores. The key clients and suppliers they represent include some of the world’s largest and most credible global players including Coca-Cola, LG Electronics, Unilever, PG, and Exxon Mobil, among many other recognisable household names.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The successful candidate will play a major pivotal role in the company’s national retail chain of Home Appliances and Consumer Electronics. Currently with 28 stores across Ghana, the company requires somebody with the appropriate skills and experience to lead and manage their expansion to 50 stores over the next two-year period.

With the support of a team under your management, you will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the retail operations, including leading the current team of retail employees, developing new products and services, expanding their offering as a multi-brand, multi-category provider, managing inventory, and ensuring that the company meets its financial objectives.       

This is an exciting and important leadership role that needs a mature and dynamic candidate who possesses broad and diverse exposure to multi-brand retail in the electronic goods’ sector. It demands a strong and developed understanding of retail growth and a proven record of success in opening new outlets on a national level. This position will likely appeal to a single individual that has experience and empathy with West Africa (Ghana especially) and is tolerant and sensitive to cultural identity. Ideally you will be available immediately (or very soon), and you must have a passion for building business, leadership, delegation, decision making, planning and strategy, and be committed to the growth of an essential provider in the retail space (especially consumer electronics and home appliances).

You must therefore have impressive knowledge of business retail and be in possession of valuable experience in electronic retail store operations; growth development; general, people and category management; customer relations; sound financial and analytical abilities, all-round business acumen; outstanding communication and relationship management skills; and good use of MS Excel and ERP.

Particular emphasis will be placed on top-line sales, growth and expansion, operations, people management, and market research. Knowledge and experience of sourcing, negotiating and attracting multi-brands is essential to the company’s ongoing development of a retail chain that is the go-to provider of multi-brand consumer electronics, home appliances and more.

To be considered for this outstanding opportunity, please ensure you possess the following attributes, skills and experience:

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • A minimum of 15 years’ continuous experience out of which at least 10 years should be in a similar position in retail with a recognised and verifiable company
  • Retail strategy & budgeting
  • Planning & implementation of business strategy in the context of a national retail business
  • A record of solid planning and execution of strategy relevant to growth and transition (of full multi-brand, multi-category retail chains)    
  • Ability to drive the growth of a retail chain from 28 to 50 shops in 2 years whilst ensuring top-line achievement throughout
  • Budget preparation and presentation to key stakeholders
  • Driving sales performance in each line of retail business to achieve set targets; being accountable for the profit and loss of the retail business; ensuring maximum sales and profitability in each region/area; and setting targets for each store, reviewing the performance of the stores, and ensuring KPI’s are met.
  • Brand promotion and brand building – to achieve desired market share for the business verticals; exploring expansion opportunities through continuous market research; quickly developing an understanding of the markets, competitors, process and products available in the market and providing positive feedback to the central product and policy team on your findings; and to constantly keep abreast of market trends and competitor intelligence so as to build and develop effective sales and marketing strategies
  • Additionally, you will be charged with property identification and new store opening; identifying good locations for new stores; initiating the process for acquiring and setting up new stores and “bringing these stores to life”. This aspect of the role will include identifying and dealing with property brokers; sourcing & procuring fixtures and fittings; and finalizing on the planograms and store layouts      

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Numeric expansion (increasing top-line sales)
  • Weightage expansion (opening new retail outlets)
  • Ensuring stores are opened on budget and within the agreed timelines
  • Identifying and placing new categories within the stores, thus offering a wider range of products and a greater service nationwide (including procurement, categories & SKU’s, etc)
  • Familiarity with the implementation of “Shop-in-Shop” concepts and how they generate revenue (i.e., leasing of retail space, etc)
  • BSc in Sales and Marketing or similar professional qualification, plus an MBA

OTHER CORE REQUIREMENTS:

  • To plan and execute the end-to-end marketing and communication strategy
  • To prepare the marketing budget                
  • To plan and execute the ATL & BTL activities, ensuring an increase in footfall, walk-ins and ticket size thus enhanced visibility and branding of the business’ offerings
  • To provide directives on the running of the stores; ensuring compliance with company policies and operational guidelines; training employees and providing performance feedback; reviewing sales reports, customer satisfaction surveys and other data to identify opportunities for improvement or changes in store operations; liaising with other company departments and stakeholders to ensure achievement of sales objectives           
  • To ensure workflow management between staff through appropriate delegation of duties; that the store is staffed with employees who are trained, motivated, and respectful of customer needs; that all employees have their KRA’s well defined; and identifying training and developmental priorities for the department so that all employees possess the requisite skills and knowledge to successfully perform their roles and responsibilities (including coaching, mentoring and motivating so as to maximise and further develop individual and team performance across the stores)

CONDITIONS:

This is an expatriate position, and the employment package will reflect this accordingly. Details will be discussed at the client interview stage, but you can assume the salary to be competitive, attractive and commensurate with this kind of role and will include allowances for accommodation, relocation and other benefits. As a senior middle-management position that carries a high degree of reasonability, it is a prerequisite that applicants possess the required skills and experience to be considered. PLEASE therefore do not apply unless you have the competencies specified and have a verifiable and solid background in business retail at the management level required.

TO APPLY:

Send your full CV to [email protected] ensuring it is up to date and includes your contact details.

Applications for this role will close on 27th October 2022. Although every effort is made to respond to all applicants, due to the volume of replies it is not always possible to do so. If you don’t receive a reply by the 30thOctober, then regrettably your application has not been successful on this occasion. The start date is immediate to ASAP subject to notice periods as/if appropriate.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:

DWR does not discriminate in the acceptance or referral of candidates on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, disability, or any other protected characteristic. By applying for this position, candidates agree to respect these standards and be observant of the internationally accepted guidelines governing equality and inclusiveness in the workplace aimed at eliminating racism, discrimination and hate speech throughout every level of society.

DWR Executive Search is appointed by the employing company as their Recruitment Service Provider for this position. The client’s name will remain confidential until the applicants have been shortlisted.

[email protected] www.ukghana.com

Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dominicryan/

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