General Manager | Retail | ACE Hardware

Overview of the role

To deliver a profitable operation, ensuring continuous sales growth online & offline of the Group’s ACE businesses, as well as establishing a high level of customer service. Maintaining effective relationships with ACE organisations as well as other relevant Principals and effectively managing the budgeted resources to deliver the agreed financial objectives. Ensuring that teams are fully engaged and are receiving both regular performance feedback, as well as creating an environment that engages employees and lives the AF Values.

What you will do 

1.   Operating Results: Achieve turnover, net profit, gross margin, OTB, RoI and market share targets as budgeted.

•  The Job holder (JH) is responsible for ensuring operating results are within plan. The JH will be required to regularly review results and implement, where necessary activity to ensure the objectives and targets are being achieved – where they are not, corrective plans to be implemented. This will require “Range Reviews” ensuring that product availability at key times meets both customer and market demands. The JH will ensure that the sourcing of product from both local and international vendors meets the needs of the Category Plans and is accountable for the accurate and proper inventory management in the business. Notably, effective and efficient use of Warehouse and Distribution and ensuring processes are enforced.

2.   Strategic Planning: Support future profitable growth by preparing and gaining the agreement of the Commercial teams and the MD – Multiband for strategic plans (Short, Medium & Long-term) which meet the needs of ACE and are consistent with the Al-Futtaim Group’s values and guidelines.

• The JH through analysis of previous results and through gaining a sound understanding of local and GCC market business opportunities, will prepare long, medium and short-term plans to achieve financial targets.
• The JH will identify future business opportunities as well as assist the Group in implementing new opportunities identified outside current markets for B2B & B2C”.
• The JH will be required to build the e-commerce business for ACE doing sales and ensuring a joint trading plan with stores.
• Improve operational cost effectiveness by ensuring the best deployment of financial & human resources & by agreeing with subordinates clearly understood accountabilities, objectives, targets and measures.
• The JH will constantly challenge the team to fully utilise all resources to ensure maximum effectiveness
• The JH will operate with a Category Management approach to Selling & Buying.

3.   People Management: To ‘lead by example’ and ensure that clear objectives are set, constructive feedback is given, the team (s) are motivated and effective as well as efficient ‘teamwork’ is encouraged. To improve the quality of senior management by ensuring ‘sound’ recruitment is delivered in cooperation with the HR Manager – Retail. The JH is responsible for ensuring that training & continuous learning and development takes place using a consistent approach in both brands.

• The JH will be the leader in establishing an environment where effective teamwork is considered a normal part of the “way we work”, where respect and co-operation are achieved.
• The JH will ensure that “Talent Management” and succession planning reviews are on-going within the businesses.
• Drive engagement and act on an Action plan to perform. 
• To also implement NPS into the business with a Customer Centric approach using Voice of the Customer.

4.   Monitoring and Control: Fulfill company objectives through the monthly review of performance against plan, by taking prompt action to resolve variances. Assist in the development of and ensure effective implementation of all Group policies and procedures.

• Through weekly / monthly/ quarterly meetings the JH (along with the Management team) will review results and take decisions on corrective action where needed. Through delegation and supervision the JH will be responsible for ensuring compliance with company policies and procedures & if required will initiate an investigation if any deviance from policy is found.
• The JH will be responsible for ensuring that the senior management team are managing all costs in their areas of responsibility as well as reviewing the P&L each month and taking appropriate action where there are variances to plan. 

5.   Relationship with Principals: The JH will serve the best interests of the owners and principals by regular personal contact with principals at a high level and by keeping them alert to opportunities and implications of changes in market and competition conditions.

• The JH must at all times maintain an effective working relationship with the principals through regular contact and feedback. 
• As the custodian of the brand name the JH is responsible for ensuring that the reputation of the brand is maintained to the highest standard at all times.

6.   Exclusivity: The JH is responsible for ensuring that a high level of ‘exclusivity’ is maintained at all time in ACE principal brands.

• In ACE ‘exclusivity’ should be sought by the Buying team when agreeing new ranges. By means of buying trips to trade fairs throughout the world, new ranges, items and brands should be sought to ensure ‘newness’ as well as to bring exclusive ranges to market.

7.   Management Information Systems - SAP: Improve sales, profits, customer service, inventory management and managerial control by the development and implementation of superior management information and accounting systems.

• The JH will ensure that the most effective IT solutions are available to provide information across all functions and at the appropriate levels.
• The JH will be required to develop strong relationships with the IT department to ensure that all opportunities for development are achieved.
• The objective under this heading is to ensure that the teams are working in an efficient way, utilising the latest technology to deliver increased sales and profit and superior customer product availability.